Higher Powers
by wordsworthy
Summary: A cross between MSL Nanoha & Konami's Suikoden universe, it follows Lazlo, the bearer of the Rune of Punishment, & his adventures in Nanoha's world. Focus will be on changes over time, VivioxLazlo, integrating Rune and MidChildaBelka magic systems & fluff
1. Chapter 1

**Higher Powers**

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_From the very onset, the world was never created for the likes of us_

_Our paths began set in stone, as though from an unyielding spindle_

_Yet already dictated by the capricious Higher Powers_

_There dangled from a thread, our pasts, presents and futures, just out of reach_

_Yet held rigidly in place by the heavy Wheel of Destiny_

_Fool is one to challenges the Gods; Fool still one who lives by that leash_

_Thus Fools we all are until The End and Thereafter_

_For the world has never belonged to the likes of us but the Fates above_

_Perhaps the time will come to change that._

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**Contents**

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Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter 2: Wings

Chapter 3: Bearings

Chapter 4: Apprentice

Chapter 5: Scholar

Chapter 6: Prophecy

Chapter 7: Breaking in

Chapter 8: Flicker

Chapter 9: Unrestricted

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Chapter 10: First Blood

Chapter 11: Demon and Monster

Chapter 12: Memories

Chapter 13: Daydreams

Chapter 14: What Comes Around

Chapter 15: Circle

Chapter 16: Eve

Chapter 17: Lull

Chapter 18: Siege

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Chapter 19: Lost

Chapter 20: Reason

Chapter 21: Heir to the Winds

Chapter 22: Lord of the Stars

Chapter 23: Contact

Chapter 24: Strike

Chapter 25: Another Beginning

Chapter 26: An Ode to the End

Chapter 27: Hundred and Eight

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**Foreword**

This piece started from a vision I had, an experiment to merge Konami's Suikoden series with Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha series, a tale that grew in the telling until it spanned as many chapters as it did. For one thing, it was fun to see the continuation of the tale in my mind's eye, to breathe life back into a tale that should have ended upon the end of the series or the game. And so began and ended the War of Second Creation.

Set in the Nanoha universe, yet grounded in the rich lore of the Suikoden universe, I am attempting to combine the best of both worlds, of rich characters, of magic and fantasy, of depth in concepts in order to weave my web of fiction of this Great War that may have never come into being.

This tale may have reached its finale, but true to its themes of beginning and ends, it conclusion merely lights the way forward for another. Please look forward to another piece that I'm currently brainstorming and finalising my thoughts on, with more information to come when it's ready. The first chapter and the foreword are already up on the Suikoden thread under the Games section. Please do check it out by all means if you liked what you have been reading so far.

A sequel if you will, to Higher Powers.

The Wheel of Destiny


	2. Chapter 2

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 1: Prologue

(Set fifteen years after the Second Fire Bringer Wars…)

_I really hate Harmonian weather…why is it so insufferably cold here? Oh right, we are in the northernmost portion of the world. Damn. Why can't the gathering of the stars take place somewhere warmer? A little further down south perhaps. Come to think of it, I haven't been back to the Island Nations for a few decades… What I'll give for the warm sunshine and the whiff of the sea in the breeze… That's it, when I get back, I'll ask Matron for a vacation. After all, I haven't had one for the past fifty years or so. Matron's had me running errands around the world for a while. I never get why I never say no… maybe it's the way she makes everything sound so end-of-the-worldly. Or maybe it's the way she looks at me… well, not look literally since her eyes are… maybe it's her smile… it reminds me of mother… Haiz… or maybe I'm just a sheep. Plain and simple…_

"What's on your mind?" a familiar voice interrupted my thoughtful soliloquy. "You've been quiet for a while since we started riding in the morning. Not another vision of trouble I hope?"

I turned to face the green-haired bishop beside me. "No, it's nothing like that. I have had my fill of trouble for the next decade or so. I was just thinking of sheep."

An eyebrow was raised incredulously. "Sheep?"

I gave a little chuckle at my own silly admission. "Yes, sheep. That, and a nice long vacation."

"Ah, that would be nice wouldn't it? Though I doubt Lady Leknaat would like the sound of her best disciple off gallivanting somewhere. She does seem like quite a slave-driver isn't she, surprisingly?"

I gave a short laugh of rare mirth at that. "You know, you really shouldn't say that out aloud. You will never know if she heard you. Though I can say the same for your Hikusaak."

Green eyebrows narrowed in a slight frown. "That's MASTER Hikusaak." He gave a small sigh. "Do address him as such while you're in Harmonia as a favour for me, alright? And it's not his fault that the Circle Rune transmigrates his soul all over the place after his every passing. His runic immortality isn't as convenient as ours. The least I can do is to take care of things here while he's away."

I nodded lightly. _The Circle rune sure is inconvenient like this. Though it also means he gets to actually live a normal life for some parts of every reincarnation. Now that I come to think of it, it's not such a bad deal._

"Alright, alright. Lighten up, Sasarai. I'll be sure to demand a vacation for you too if I run into him. You do so badly need one too."

Sasarai gave one of his rare genuine smiles. "That would be nice. I'd appreciate that. Thanks again for the help this time too. I can't believe how close the aristocracy, the Howling Voice and the Temple nearly started a war with themselves AND with the rest of the world…"

"No problem. It was worth it just to be able to catch up with you and Tir. It's not like I can say no to Lady Leknaat anyway. Sheep, remember? "

Surprisingly, Sasarai laughed this time. "Thank you all the same."

Unfortunately by this time, we have reached the fork of the road that divided the way to Caleria and the Zexen-Grasslands.

"I guess this is where we part, old friend." The bishop raised a gloved hand. "Where will you be heading to now?"

"Vinay, for the moment. I'll probably catch a ship out and wander around a little before heading back to Magician's Isle." I said as I returned the gesture. "I do hope that our next meeting do not come for some time. Try not to start another great war too soon, okay? I'm still hoping for that vacation."

Sharing another round of laughs, I started riding westwards towards the Grasslands, thinking of how I'm going to argue with the most powerful seer in the world.

Meanwhile, Sasarai watched the fading figure in the distance and touched his left side gingerly, giving a slight grimace. _Farewell, Lazlo en Kuldes, my good friend and adversary. I hope you don't have to hit me so hard with that damn rune of yours the next time. Better yet, stand on my side for a change…_ Sasarai caught himself before he completed the thought and shook his head amusedly. _Haha, what are the chances of that? Not while I'm still with Harmonia I guess._

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(A good few months later… well, I did say I was going to wander for a while…)

I trekked up the ivory halls of the white castle towards Matron's chamber, repeating in my head the argument I had worked on for the past half a year or so. _Do not take no for an answer. Do not take no for an answer. Do not take… _Before I noticed, the double doors came into view right in front of me and I barely avoided walking into them. Now that would be embarrassing… I was about to knock when her voice came into my head.

"Enter."

Taking a deep breath, I did as I was told and walked up as steadily as I can towards the woman in the room before giving a curt bow.

"Matron, I have returned."

The White Seer looked up towards her favourite disciple with her unseeing eyes and a fond smile. "Welcome back my child. You did really well with the latest gathering in Harmonia."

My eyebrow twitched slightly. _Damn, there's that darn smile of hers. And I'm not a child. What am I? 18? I'm almost two centuries old now… _

"I'm glad you have found my services satisfactory. However, I have a request to make of you. Would you hear me out?"

The motherly figure nodded, giving me the permission to continue.

"Well, I've done a little sweep of the future with the power of my True Rune during my trip back here, and I did not detect any excessively large anomalies or imminent threats, for the next five years at least. I'm confident that my clairvoyance isn't too badly off."

Another nod.

I swallowed a little, hoping the blind figure didn't notice.

"In that case, would it be permissible if I request for a little… vacation? I haven't had the chance to return to the Island Nations for close to half a century now and well, since there are not many foreseeable troubles in the short term…"

"Okay."

"… and there's the graves of some old friends I'd like to visit, not to mention my grandnieces, grandnephews and… Huh?" I was surprised to say the least.

"I said okay. You have been exceptional with your tasks lately and it does seem that you deserve some time for yourself. However…"

_This worries me. Why does this smile look so suspiciously like a smirk? Wait, does Leknaat even SMIRK to begin with?_

"However… are you quite sure you want to have your break now? At this particular moment in time"

_There it is again. Is she baiting me to reject my own request? Or does she see something I didn't? And what's with that amused tone of her voice. Darn. What the heck, what's the worst that could happen…_

"Now would be fine. I see no rhyme or reason to procrastinate, and the sooner I leave, the earlier I can return for duty."

The seer nodded again.

"Very well. I'll grant you your leave for duration of… say… a decade? That sounds reasonable enough given the absurdity of time for us runebearers, no?"

_Yes! _

"Thank you for your generosity matron. I'll bring you a souvenir when I return. By your leave, madam?"

The matron nodded as serenely as always. But somehow the hairs of my back stood up a little.

"I think Viki made it back here slightly earlier. Why don't you have her blink you to the Island Nations? After all, time is… awaiting."

"Shouldn't it be 'a wasting'?"

_There's that smile/smirk again._

"I wonder about that."

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I stood back and took a cursory look over the items I have prepared for the trip. A change of Island Nations clothing, my favourite blue pair of swords, a small pouch containing a collection of magical earrings and rings and a larger pouch containing several rare runes for emergencies and gifts, some healing implements and a moneybag that contained twenty thousand potch in coins and notes to last thru the decade. I nodded as I went through the items, wondering if there's something I had forgotten. Deciding that I hadn't, I packed the gear into my sling bag and evened its appearance out. I liked to travel light and compact after all. I wondered briefly if I should change out of my Harmonian coat and garb but shrugged it off since the Island Nations and Harmonia weren't exactly at each other's throat yet. Well, I am slightly lazy and impatient to leave at the moment so I'll let it be. After tying up my hair up a little to make it more travel-worthy, I went out in the direction of the cafeteria. Sure enough, there the teleportress was.

"Viki."

The brown haired girl winced slightly and looked up from the steam rising from her stew.

"Lazlo! You're back! I'm sorry I left before you in Harmonia. Could you believe it? I sneezed my way out of another banquet again! I swear, there is some conspiracy going on to keep me from my food. How did you get back here? Oh, you're all packed? Are you going somewhere again? Can I come along?" the excitable girl gushed all over the place.

"Yes, yes, I don't know about the conspiracy, I took a ship back, and yes, I'm going off to the Island Nations for a short break. You'll have to ask Lady Leknaat if you can come along though." I replied back to the barrage of questions as best I can.

"That's so nice. I'm so envious." pouted the girl.

"Really wish I could come along too. I never get to hang out with you…"

"Erm, Viki? What are you mumbling about?" I asked politely.

"Not-Nothing! Island Nations right? I'll send you right now. Would Obel be fine?"

"Erm, yes. That's perfect actually." I said as a smile crept out a little.

_She's cute. The pouting, stammering and the slight blush on her face. Sure she's a little blank up there in times, but she's still cute that way too. Maybe I really will ask her along next time._

"Okay! Here goes nothing!"

Viki raised her staff up and a familiar green light encased me from green circles on top and under me. Just as the green particles started to accelerate, signifying imminent departure from the isle, I noticed a slight twitch on her nose. A twitch started on my brows as I called out…

"Viki! No! Don't…"

"Ah- ah- Choo!"

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"… sneeze! Whoa...!"

I appeared with a poof and a small cloud of green light as soon as I finished my sentence and started free-falling.

_Not again…VIKI! I hope I don't land too hard. Immortality doesn't include freedom from pain and injuries, though I wish at this moment it did. _

Grimacing slightly, my eyes barely opened due to the air rushing against the slits, I braced myself for the eventual impact with the solid ground. But somehow, I managed to crash into something white midway before meeting with the ground. The landing turned out much softer than I imagined. I shook my head slightly to get rid of the disorientation from the botched teleport and the falling out of the sky.

A young female voice and a string of words called out from under me.

I blinked slightly. I didn't recognise the language. _But that's impossible. I know almost every language in the world, past and present, including Sindar!_

It was only then that I noticed a couple of shadows looming over me. I looked up and saw two women floating in the air dressed in black and white respectively and several upset looking boys and girls looking at me on the ground. I gulped a little and managed a slight wry smile.

"Hello?"

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Author's Notes:

There you have it, my first fanfiction story ever. I hope it was as fun to read as it was to write. Well, for this cross between Suikoden and Nanoha Strikers, I'm trying to unify their concept of magic, namely the runic magic that is signature from Suikoden and the technological magic from Nanoha, although I'll make alterations to certain powers or abilities, just to make things interesting. I'll be using mainly the Nanoha world as the setting for Lazlo's adventures from the second chapter onwards for a while, as well as the characters from Nanoha. More details next chapter. Now for some terminology for those lost in the terms I'm using:

Harmonia: A mountainous northern country in the Suikoden world. Pretty advanced, much like Medieval Europe, as compared to the rest of the world. It is governed by a triad of powers; the aristocracy, the Howling Voice (Covert Ops/Assassins) Guild and the Temple. At present, the Temple holds the most power and holds the country together.

Caleria: A small outpost town on the Edge of Harmonia

Vinay de Zexen: The capital of the Zexen Federeation, a place in the Suikoden world.

Zexen-Grasslands: An area directly south of Harmonia. Zexen refers to the Zexen Federation, a distinctively urban community much like pre-industrial Europe while the Grasslands are a collection of warrior tribes. They have an alliance and understanding of sorts that has led to them being referred to collectively, particularly by Harmonia.

Island Nations: a federation of islands south of the Suikoden world. Think of a collective of islands like the Maldives, Hawaii, Fiji and perpetual summer.

Leknaat: A central figure in the Suikoden universe, though there is little direct contact. She's basically the all-knowing seer who watches the world and sends help to right balances where required. She bears the Back Gate Rune, which is not exactly a True Rune, but rather half of one. Nonetheless, she is immortal and the greatest seer around.

Hikusaak: The ruler of Harmonia, or rather the figurehead, since he is only ever mentioned in passing. He also bears the Circle rune, a true rune that governs order and hence shapes Harmonia into a country of absolute order. Though there are many debates about him, I've chosen to use the idea that the Circle rune causes an endless cycle of death and reincarnation for Hikusaak as the mode of his immortality.

True Runes: The Suikoden universe is governed by 27 True Runes. Each rune represents a force in the universe and as such possesses unimaginable power as well as a sentient will. They do not submit to human wills easily and usually chooses their own hosts. Their sentience poses as much danger as their powers at times. Notable runes like this include Lazlo's Rune of Punishment, Hikusaak's Circle Rune and Sasarai's True Earth Rune that wasn't explicably mentioned. Tir (Mcdohl) also bears the Soul Eater, another true rune known also as The Rune of Life and Death.

Runes: Lesser runes compared to the true rune that also embody forces of the universe, though much weaker in comparison. They are usually the child or grandchild of the true runes, for example, from the True Fire Rune comes the less powerful Rage Rune and the even weaker Fire Rune. The closer the connection to the True Runes, the greater the rune's power. These runes are usually borne on the head or hands of a person and gives the bearer powers and abilities inherent to their nature.

Runebearers: I use this term to refer to the bearers of the True Runes. Each runebearer is chosen by the True Rune itself and are bestowed with certain abilities in addition to their power. One such ability that can be considered standard is immortality. The bearer of a True Rune never ages and is immune to death by old age, though they can still be killed if their heads are severed or gutted by a spear. This ability may differ at times, for example, the Circle Rune's Death and Reincarnation phases, though that might be my doing for my story. Certain True Runes also allow the bearer a varying levels of Clairvoyance, the most potent being Leknaat and her Back Gate Rune. Also, the advanced age of many of these runebearers also means that they have had the time to hone their abilities beyond many normal humans. For instance, Sasarai is an incredible mage and Lazlo is probably as good with magic and combat as well.

Potch: Money used throughout the Suikoden world.

Sasarai: An green-haired archbishop from the Harmonian Temple. He bears the True Earth Rune and has the form of a young (18-21) year old boy/man. He is in fact, more than several decades old or so, somewhere around 60-90 years old perhaps. He is technically the highest authority in Harmonia at the moment and tries to keep it together in the absence of his master Hikusaak. He commands the power of Earth and has a high affinity with it.

Lazlo En Kuldes: Originally a prince from Obel of the Island Nations. He bears the Rune of Punishment, a dark and dangerous rune that drains the life of its user whenever it is used. Before Lazlo's ownership, it has moved on from the life of one owner to the next hapless bearer who happens to be near the passing of the previous one. However, Lazlo managed to activate the rune's Atonement phase, thereby removing the threat to his life if he chooses to use the rune. He is also the protagonist of the story and around 185 years old, judging from my estimation (17(S4)+150(S1)+3(S2)+15(S3) 200). More descriptions of him to come later on.

Viki: A brown haired teleportress in the Suikoden world. She is a mystery even to those familiar with the Suikoden series, but she is known for her ability to blink or teleport people across long distances. I made her a little ditzier and with a slight crush on Lazlo, but that's just because I think she's cute too. One characteristic of her is that she has a tendency to mis-teleport someone, especially when she sneezes. This is, of course, my mode of "transport" for Lazlo to get to Nanoha's world.

More to come on in the next few chapters Please do look forward to it.


	3. Chapter 3

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 2: Wings

_Time really flies. It's already been ten years since the Jail Scaglietti Incident and the forwards have all grown up into fine mages of their own accord. Subaru is leading her own rescue team in the Disaster Planning and Humanitarian Aid and has already distinguished herself early with a fine record of successes. Teana has also been accepted as a member of the Enforcers and has risen up the ranks faster than any rookie in recent times. Heheh… other than a certain blonde of course. It feels oddly fulfilling to see your former students making a name for themselves. I can't feel any prouder. _

A faint sound of an explosion rang out from somewhere in the near distance.

_Erio and Carol have stayed on with Mobile Division 6 though and have changed quite a bit over the years. For one, their physical appearances have changed almost completely. Erio has filled out his frame well and stands all at a lean and muscular five feet nine and still growing. Boys really do grow up so quickly. Caro too has blossomed quite wonderfully. While she isn't so endowed with height, she more than made up with her… ahem… womanly figure. Both of them have also been promoted to A+ rank mages, a just indication of their progress so far I would think. However, Erio has taken over the role of Front Attacker from Subaru and has made the position his own quite quickly while Caro remained as Full Back. With the departure of the two older girls, a few additions to the team had to be made. Taking over the role of Center Guard from Teana was Lutecia Alpino, the former Jail-affiliated summoner. Apparently, she and Caro had some sort of rivalry going on for this position and both studied almost obsessively for the auditions. I really didn't understand what was going on, until I realised that the Center Guard gets to partner the Front Attacker. Kids will be kids I guess. Even now, Caro still seems a bit miffed at the purple haired girl and me… Nonetheless, you have to give credit to Lutecia. She managed to weasel private lessons from Vice-kun who had already gone back to the Sniper Unit as an instructor himself, as well as surprise everyone on the examination board with her new device, a silver handgun with an elongated barrel she named Zes Lupine in tribute to the fallen Striker. Her new ranged abilities, together with the quality of her support and summon spells earned her quite a few brownie points. I hope you agree with me too. You know how much I hate it when you take her side and whine together with her._

Another explosion rang out, this time closer and louder than the previous. A pair of fingers raised themselves to a forehead and massaged them gingerly before reaching back towards the touchpad.

_Another addition is Agito, the unison device Signum rescued during the Incident. Apparently she has the ability to unite with a Meister or mage and augment the magical powers and abilities, much like what Rein does, though with a particular affinity towards the element of fire. She fills a new role that was added into the Forward, the Auxiliary Guard, whose job is to provide the Forwards with additional tactical input and unison-induced firepower should the situation call for it. She can also double as our very own independent communications unit in case of field-jammers. She's currently working on her compatibility with the rest of the Forwards but can also be seen hanging around Rein on her days off. They make quite a cute couple don't they? Even with all that bickering foreplay. There were also some changes with the Guard Wing positions that Erio used to fill. At the moment, the role is expanded to Guard Wing Left and Guard Wing Right, hence making the Full Back essentially a more flexible and versatile unit who is now essentially everyone's partner instead of just the Guard Wing's. Smart move eh? Even if I do say so myself. I had to do something to get rid of that pink puppy eye look… We are still testing possible candidates for the Left position, though there are quite a few hopefuls. Apparently the fame of our little unit has spread a bit further than we thought. And we all know who our Right is…_

Yet another explosion. Except this time, it sounded much too close for comfort, rocking the building slightly in the aftershock. Sighing once again, the blonde saved her message and put the touch board away before she dematerialized the window and flew off in the direction of the latest smoking depression in the field.

"Nanoha! Vivio! You two are overdoing it again! Look at all this mess!"

"Sorry…" Two sheepish sounding voices greeted her back.

"Mou… I can't even finish my letter to Mother. And what did I tell you about using excessive power during training." The blonde added a pout for good measure.

"But Fate-mama, I really want the Guard Wing position. That's why I had Nanoha-mama give me this really hard combat simulation…"

"Fate, you know I have no resistance against Vivio when she's like this…"

"No buts! You two are grounded for today until I say otherwise. Now go inside and get cleaned up before I tell you no ice-cream for today." The enforcer took a step back involuntarily.

"And stop looking at me with those puppy eye looks again! You too Nanoha!"

"…"

_Well, as I was saying, our Guard Wing Right will probably be our very own fourteen year old girl. Runs in the family I guess, her being Nanoha's girl and all. I'll come by for a visit when we can get our leaves approved together. Until then, please take care of yourself Lindy-kasan. Miss you lots,_

_Fate T. Takamichi_

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"Next." Nanoha's voice called out towards the group of nervous looking teenage mages seated in the corner. Today was the field examination for the Guard Wing position after all and no one in the right mind would have thought it to be easy. But no one would have expected it to entail taking on both Striker class legends at once. Not that there was time to be starry-eyed and all, since they weren't pulling any punches either, making the deceptively simple target of surviving for ten minutes or landing a hit anywhere seem near impossible at the moment. Well, except for a certain blonde with multi-coloured pupils perhaps.

"Hai!"

After close to nine minutes of dodging and aerial acrobatics, Vivio began counting down the eternity of a minute while desperately trying not to get hit too much by the pink and yellow energy shots zipping about at insane speeds.

_Is it me, or are they going even harder on me? I'm their kid after all, right? … Oh right… it's exactly because I'm their kid. Oh well…Good thing I had those flying lessons nailed earlier…_

As the countdown got down to around ten seconds, Vivio broke into a nosedive towards the ground, hoping that the gravity-induced acceleration could throw off some of the more persistent homing spheres. It was then that she caught the awestruck looks on some of the other candidates.

_Must be my folks. Oh wait, they're in awe of them from the beginning already. That must mean it's me? Hee…_

A slight smile crept on her face as she veered up a little more spectacularly than necessary in an expression of glee. She counted inwardly as the last seconds trickled down.

_Three! Two! One! Yay… what the… Ooof!_

An unexpected weight landed square on her back, causing her to fall from her flight path and spiral towards the ground. Gritting her teeth, the blonde focused on the additional weight and adjusted her flight capacity to compensate for the added load. She barely managed to slow the freefall down to a reasonably safe velocity and landed face down on a grassy clearing off the edge of the training field. Heaving a huge sigh of relief, she tried to get up but the weight was still pressing her down. Turning her head, she managed to catch a glimpse of flowing silver blonde hair before she mustered all her indignation and embarrassment into one sentence.

"Hey! Will you get off me already?!" _Okay two sentences._

The parents of a certain miffed girl on the ground breathed a little easier when they heard that familiar voice shooting off again. The blonde of the two raised an eyebrow at the other before sending a telepathic message.

"_She's your child after all."_

The brown haired woman puffed her cheeks out slightly.

"_She's your girl too. And I don't have lungs like that."_

"_Sure."_

The blonde shook her head slightly in amusement before turning towards the sight of a young man with light blonde hair get off her daughter's back and offering a gloved hand towards her. A slight smirk formed as she noticed the slight hesitation before the offered hand was accepted, and the slight red on her daughter's cheeks afterwards.

_I hope Nanoha didn't see that._

She watched the other woman from the corner of her eye before she let loose a little chuckle. Someone was still pouting cutely it seems.

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"Thanks. Now, would you tell me why and how you landed on me? We were at least thirty feet in the air and it is a restricted airspace." Vivio began after getting to her feet.

The strange young man just stared blankly at her. Either he was either having trouble understanding what she was saying or he did not manage to hear it at all. Vivio gave a little sigh before assessing the person before her.

_Hmmm… he looks young, maybe sixteen or seventeen. Long silver, no, silverish blonde hair, a slightly tanned complexion and beautiful… I mean… shiny mysterious green eyes. _Vivio shook her head slightly before looking him up and down some more. _And what is he wearing in this weather… a long blue coat with brown trimmings, a long white scarf, a dark green inner shirt and black pants, boots… it sure doesn't look like any military uniform I've ever seen._

"You're not from around here are you?" she quizzed curiously.

The newcomer blinked a little, before looking at her gently, shrugging his shoulders and making a small gesture towards his ear.

_He's probably lost. He can't even speak or understand Mid-Childa tongue after all. _

Before she can begin questioning anew, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. The footsteps of two dozen or so mages, sent in response to the sudden breach of airspace no doubt. Soon enough, they found themselves completely surrounded. The apparent leader of the squad stood out and pointed a finger at the young man.

"You there! You are in violation of restricted military airspace. You're coming along with us for investigations. Come along peacefully or otherwise."

The man in question looked at the leader of the guards blankly before turning to Vivio with an eyebrow raised in question. This pissed the other man off.

"Are you playing a fool or just acting dumb? You ARE coming with us whether you like it or not."

"Erm, excuse me," started the blonde girl as she moved in front a little "I really don't think he understands what you are saying."

"Is that so? That it seems like you would have to come along too little girl, since that makes you seem like the intruder's accomplice or something like that."

The older man gripped Vivio's hand tightly in one motion causing her to wince a little. She was actually struggling as best she could against her urge to break his jaw for being so rude to her and calling her "little girl". However, that wouldn't have looked too promising in her resume for the Guard Wing position. Before she could do anything, a blur of blue flashed across her eyes and she felt her hand again.

_He decked him. Oh boy…I can't believe this. How do I explain things now?_

The guards surrounding them pointed their staves towards the two in the middle while the young man stepped protectively in front of Vivio. Before they could fire however, a faint green glow emanated from his right hand before he waved that arm in a sweeping motion towards the guards in front. In the blink of an eye, half of the guards were blown some ten metres away by an invisible force and a rush of cold air. Turning to the rest of the guards around, he proceeded to do the same to the others. Vivio was stunned to say the least. For starters, the same emerald irises that looked so gentle and friendly earlier had taken on a frosty and malignant glint. Next, she had just seen a single guy take out twenty four experienced mages in less than ten seconds and is currently toying with them like rag dolls, knocking them about one place or another all at once. The blonde man then raised that gloved hand into the air again and the green glow she saw earlier got a little brighter before she noticed the guards hovering in the air and struggling, flailing about as though they were being crushed by an invisible force. She had to do something before someone got hurt too seriously. So she put her arms around that raised arm and pulled down with all her strength, all the while looking up with her best puppy eye expression. Those emerald eyes blinked once again, before they regained their gentle light and the arm came down willingly. With a snap of his fingers, the guards were thrown a little distance off, but with little further damage. Vivio even noticed some of the guards slow down just before hitting hard objects like tress, as though cushioned by the air itself. The young man's eyebrow twitched again as he noticed a pair of shadows loomed overhead causing him to make a reflexive pull with his hand, but it was still held down by Vivio though. At that moment, the blonde girl she heard something that made her own brow twitch.

"I think we found our Wings."

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Author's Notes:

Well, I used most of the characters from Nanoha Strikers and assigned them slightly different roles. For some reason, the Erio-Caro-Lutecia triangle seems really popular among other fanfictions, so I decided to throw that in too. Fate and Nanoha are also married in my story, since they do have a kid together and all… it just seemed inevitable somehow. Just for the heck of it, I threw in a Agito-Rein pairing too, though it's probably going to be a case of friendship rather than Shoujo-ai like Fate and Nanoha. Vivio is also going to play a large part in the scheme of things to come, especially since she's going to be a Forward too.

In addition, I added a very tame indication of the power of Lazlo's runic magic. The green glow on his right hand is actually a Cyclone Rune that grants him powerful wind magic. Together with the Rune of Punishment, that leaves one more slot for another rune. I might have him equip a Rage Rune, but that's still being considered. I'm planning on making Lazlo one of those hidden, super overpowered characters around, as befitting the bearer of godlike powers of a True Rune. A little remnant from old mahou shoujo genres where the true powers of the protagonist is hidden from everyone else but erupts during crisis for dramatic effect.

Lazlo's current outfit is actually an altered version of the garb worn by Harmonian bishops, the same one in which he rode in alongside Sasarai. Though it seems icky that he's been wearing the same outfit for so long, people really do not change their clothes much during the medieval period in Europe too, so it is somewhat the same situation. Also, the Harmonian outfit looks pretty trendy with its likeness to one of those Matrix trench coats, except it is blue and is decorated by trimmings, straps and coats of arms where relevant. It would look European to me.

Oh, in case it's not obvious already, I'm thinking of a Vivio-Lazlo pairing too. How that will work out, we will have to see later on too.


	4. Chapter 4

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 3: Bearings

_I wonder how I always keep getting myself into these messes… Well, I suppose it began in Gaien when I inherited the Rune from Glenn, although I was simply at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Then there's also that time when I had to face that oversized rune cannon at Kooluk, though that really was necessary to protect my friends and comrades. Then there were those fights with Sierra, Tir, Geddoe and more recently Sasarai. It's almost funny how I usually end up fighting with most of my kind, and still remain on relatively good terms with them… I guess feuds lose their steam after the odd twenty-thirty years or so. They're good for a laugh though. Haiz… back to more recent events…Viki had made some really outrageous mistakes at times, but that sneeze had to top that proverbial list. In a foreign land, perhaps a different world as well, and possibly a different time… I really hope this isn't anything like the realm of chaos. The last time Viki sent me there I had to live and fight with Yuber for a half a decade before Little Viki showed up and gave me a lift back to Magician's Isle… That was hell… literally. But then there is this… _

I turned my head around, surveying the scene before me.

_Hmm… two dozen or so limp bodies crumpled on the ground, a cute teenage girl hanging on my right arm, and another pair of older women hovering in midair above me… wait… are they actually flying? How do they do that? Is it some kind of new rune? I have always wanted to try that, but it didn't seem possible even with my extensive study in magic. The only person I've seen actually do it is Sierra. Then again, she is a vampire after all. Maybe I'll ask them about it later. _

The blonde and the brunette landed close to me and began to talk in that strange language again. I felt the weight on my arm lift and turned just in time to see the younger blonde turn away hurriedly with that slight dash of pink.

_She really is cute… I wonder if I'm turning into a paedophile… then again, I AM older than almost every other normal human… _

The older blonde walked away towards some of the fallen bodies, perhaps inspecting the damage I've done to them, while the brunette was simply just smiling at me while saying some stuff that I don't understand. The tone of her voice was gentle and her palms were open, so I guess she's offering a gesture of peace.

_Oh… they're with them… I hope I didn't hurt them too badly. I guess I did get a bit carried away. Well, I was pissed after all. And quite understandably so right…?_

The older blonde nodded slightly at the brunette and I heard the other woman give a slight sigh of relief before turning around with that smile again, gesturing for me to follow her perhaps.

_Oh well, I guess it's a plan. Oh wait, perhaps I should do something about the people lying around me… after all, smiling and blank looks can only do so much sometimes._

I raised my right hand into the air once more and a bright blue glow shined from the Flowing rune on my forehead. I heard the brunette gasp slightly and got her pink staff into a ready stance while the previous weight on my arm returned, together with that adorable pleading expression. I smiled a little at the endearing sight before patting her head slightly with my free hand. The brunette seemed to hesitate a little at the gesture and I took the chance to fire a stream of blue light into the centre of the sky. The blue energy dispersed into a cloud of blue particles that in turn rained down on the small clearing, infusing the people within with a slight blue glow. The expressions of confusion gradually turned into ones of awe and incredulity when the formerly limp bodies began to stir and pick themselves off the ground groggily. I can feel another smile creeping in again.

_Kindness Rain. That should be enough to heal most of them. It seems that the ladies of this world have such lovely expressions though. I could get used to this._

Once again turning to me with a much more relieved smile, I gave slight shrug together with my favorite blank look and began following their lead off somewhere.

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The short walk took me to a strange looking blue building of stone and glass just a little distance from the wooded area. I nearly jumped when the glass doors opened on their own accord when we approached.

_Great… years of study about the Sindar and their gadgets and I still get jumpy at a self-opening door. I must really look like an idiot right now…_

As if to prove my point, I heard a few soft giggles coming from my escorts. I narrowed my brows a little before stepping through the opening. The interior was cooler than I expected, and the corridors seem to be organized and designed in an angular fashion. I allowed myself to be led through a series of them before ending up in a fairly spacious blue room adorned with shelves, beds and tables where another blonde lady in white was seated at. Another series of words were exchanged before the new blonde lady picked a box off one of the shelves and approached me, gesturing for me to sit down on one of the chairs. Thereafter, she opened the box to reveal a simple silver earring with a green crystal and pointed to her ears. That's when I realized that I'm supposed to put the earring on.

_I hope this isn't cursed. I would really hate having to destroy another town to prove a point. I already had enough flak from Matron the last time I tried something like that…_

With that thought, I pulled back the hair covering my ears and began to put the stud on alongside two others I already had on. A slight humming noise and a dull throbbing in my head made me wince a little, but otherwise, there seemed to be very little harm done.

A few moments passed before the blonde in white spoke out.

"Hello. Can you understand what I am saying right now?"

"Yes…" I blinked a little. "But how…"

The blonde in white made a gesture with her two fingers and a triumphant grin before turning to my three escorts.

"See! I told you my telepathic translator could work."

"Yes, yes you did. Congratulations. Could I have a talk with him now Shamal?" the blonde from earlier replied calmly.

"Sure! Just take care not to use words that require a special context in order to be understood. My translator translates thoughts directly into Mid-Childa, but it doesn't grant him instant knowledge of referents lexicons."

The brunette nodded and stepped forward to face me directly.

"Hello, I am Captain Takamichi Nanoha of Mobile Division 6. Could you please tell us your name?"

I blinked again.

_My brain is running a little slow today… Oh right, MANNERS._

I bolted up from my seat, surprising her slightly.

"My apologies for my tardiness, madam captain. I am Lazlo En Kuldes. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

The brunette seemed pleasantly surprised.

"Erm, likewise. You're quite a polite young man. Now, could you tell us how you appeared in the middle of our training area, in the middle of the air no less? This area is exclusively for military use and the airspace above is restricted."

I scratched my head a little. _I didn't really know what exactly happened either, to be honest. Well, might as well tell it as it is._

"Hmm… that part is a little hard to explain. I was going back to the Island Nations for a long overdue vacation and I was offered the services of a certain teleportress. The prospect of not spending another few months on a seaward voyage got to me and I accepted the offer. It turns out that she wasn't exactly very good with her aim, especially when she sneezes, which she did in the middle of blinking me. The next thing I knew I was falling from midair before landing on something soft prior to hitting the ground."

I turned to the young blonde and gave my best apologetic look.

"My apologies for that by the way, milady."

"Huh? No, no. It's quite alright. Don't mention it." She blurted out hurriedly.

Lady Nanoha turned to her two older companions.

"Do you know where this Island Nations is? Is it on any of the TSAB worlds? You know I'm bad with geography in general…"

The blonde in white giggled while the others smiled and shrug their shoulders lightly. I took it as my cue to carry on.

"In any case, you could say I ran into the young lady over there who had been awfully polite and friendly to me, considering my… alien disposition to this world. Before I could express my gratitude properly after getting over my initial disorientation, two dozen or so burly men with staves appeared and began barking orders at me. I was considerably annoyed by them, considering how much of a bad mood I was in due to recent events, but I refrained from conflict as best I can. But I could stay my hand no longer when one of them attacked the young lady. And well… I knocked them around with my Cyclone Rune a little. On hindsight, they were probably your guards and I might have overdone it a little, and so I do apologize. But please do not worry. I healed them up mostly before we came here."

"What was that weird magic that you used earlier? I have never seen anything like it." the older blonde chipped in.

"Wind and Water magic. I would have thought them to be fairly common spells… erm, pardon my rudeness, but you are?"

"Oh yes. I'm sorry. I'm Enforcer Fate T. Takamichi. Same rank as Nanoha over there."

"And I'm Vivio Takamichi. It is really nice to meet you." The young blonde added sheepishly.

"And I'm Shamal, the resident medical officer around here. I'm basically just a doctor, although I do help with some scientific research from time to time."

"Likewise Lady Shamal, Lady Fate and Lady Vivio. Please accept my apologies for my indiscretion earlier again."

After a round of general nodding and smiles, Lady Nanoha continued the conversation.

"Please, there's no need for such high formalities. You may address me as Nanoha-san and likewise for my wife and daughter."

I restrained my eyebrow from twitching at that. It would be rude after all. I simply nodded.

"So you are a mage too then?" Fate-san started this time.

"Yes. I am versed in magic, though I have not really considered myself as one."

"Do you have a device?" she continued.

"Device? A mechanical instrument?"

Fate-san raised an eyebrow this time.

"No. It's something mages use to generate the magic grids to which we channel our magic through when we are casting a spell. You are… unfamiliar with this system of magic?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I do not understand the system of magic that you have just described Fate-san. My magic relies on the power of Runes. It is complicated to explain, but in a nutshell, each rune represents a certain compression of power or a force that grants the bearer access to a variety of spells and abilities. The strength and effectiveness of each spell is then derived mostly from the innate power of the Rune and the abilities of the mage themselves."

_Now that's oversimplifying things…_

Nanoha-san looked intrigued.

"I see. So was that what you used to blow those guards away and heal them earlier?"

"Yes. The wind magic came from the Cyclone Rune on my right hand while the water magic came from this Flowing Rune on my forehead."

To illustrate the point, I made the Runes glow slightly so that their signature symbols became visible.

"I have several others that I had prepared for my journey earlier."

I reached into my sling bag and retrieved two orbs, one with a red flame symbol within and the other with a yellow stone symbol. Looking at the orbs, Shamal-san gave a small gasp and the other three backed away from me warily.

"Aren't those Lost Logias!?" Shamal-san asked with an incredulous voice.

"Lost what?"

"Lazlo-san. These orbs you have are classified highly dangerous materials! I must insist that you relinquish them for safekeeping." stated Nanoha-san in reply to my query.

I narrowed my brows in thought. _I should stop doing that. I might get wrinkles despite being immortal one day._

"You mean you have seen them before?"

"Yes. That is the purpose for the formation of Mobile Division 6. It is our responsibility to contain incidents related to Lost Logia and retrieve them for safekeeping. We encountered an orb like this a few years ago. We barely managed to contain the amount of energy released to allow for the evacuation of a whole city that time."

I rubbed my chin a little, deciding on it as an alternative to frowning.

_A city eh? I wonder if I should tell them my left hand can do that quite easily as well… On second thoughts, I better not. _

"Well, the existence of Runes in your world isn't impossible. After all, they are embodiments of forces within the vast universe, not to mention that they predate mankind. Exact knowledge of what they are is limited, even in my world. In any case, I assure you that these orbs are perfectly safe. The containment field that forms the orb serves as a null barrier that inhibits the Rune's powers from leaking out, making it safe to handle. If and when the barrier disappears, for instance, when it is equipped on a mage, it is up to the mage to control the power of the rune wisely of course. It is no more dangerous than a sharp blade in the hands of a child, as opposed to a swordsman."

_Well, that is if they are talking about a common Rune. If my Rune goes berserk, it'll probably mean the end of the world… or a few worlds. I think I'll skip that point too._

The women nodded again and began inching their way nearer to their original positions.

"However, I must insist that my possessions remain with me, especially since I have had some training and experience in generating the null barriers, and knowledge of runic magic. They are much safer in my hands than anyone else in this world I would wager."

_I shuddered a little as I remembered my training sessions with Jeane. They were oh so draining, in oh so many ways. At least it came in useful in times like this._

"Hmmm… it would be nice if we could study them much closer when we have the time. Imagine that! The discovery of a whole new system of magic! Yunno would flip at the chance to do that research."

For a moment there, I swore I could see stars coming out from Nanoha-san's eyes. Shaking that thought from my head, I decided to do some questioning of my own.

"Forgive me ladies, but would it be impertinent for me to ask some questions of my own?"

The group of women nodded.

"Well, for starters… where are we?"

Vivio-san volunteered with an answer.

"This is the headquarters for Mobile Division 6, a military base on the Mid-Childa planet." _That went well…_

"Okay… does anyone know a teleportress who might be able to send me back to my world?"

The women in the room looked at each other. Clearing her throat, Shamal-san ventured a reply.

"Well, I do have teleportation abilities, up to a reasonably long distance in fact. But without knowing exactly where your home world is, I'm afraid we can't do much about that."

My shoulders slumped a little in disappointment. _Great… my only hope is Viki again. I wonder how long it will be before I run into her this time…_I gave a rather heavy sigh.

"I wonder what to do with myself in the mean time…"

"Why not stay with us?" the four women said at the same time to our shared astonishment.

"That's right. You do seem like a rather good mage. We could use your abilities in our Guard Wing position. That would help guarantee your food and lodgings during your time here." Nanoha-san rationalized.

"And your knowledge and experience with Lost Logia would make you a good addition to our team and operations." added Fate-san keenly.

"Not to mention that you're a cute young boy who is oh so suitable for a certain cute young girl too." Shamal-san added with a wink.

"Ya, and you're a cute… what? SHAMAL!" Vivio-san practically screamed out before her face did an impression of a tomato amidst the giggling of the doctor.

"Huh? What do you mean Shamal…?" Nanoha-san asked blankly before Fate-san snaked her arm around her waist and pulled her close, effectively cutting her off in surprise. With a warm smile, the blonde asked again.

"So? What say you?"

_What can I say? At least it will be interesting._

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Author's Notes:

More interaction, solving the language barrier, and an integration of Runic magic and Nanoha type magic. I hope it would get more interesting later on myself.


	5. Chapter 5

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 4: Apprentice

_What a fortunate turn of events. Not only have we found a promising new Guard Wing, he might also quite possibly have considerably more experience and understanding of Lost Logia beyond what the entire TSAB has within our archives. We have to keep him with us somehow…_

"Fine then. The offer is attractive, but since this is military service we are talking about, I would like to state certain conditions beforehand." The blonde young man replied after a moment of consideration.

"Fair enough. That's hear them and we'll see if they are reasonable." Fate replied.

"My thanks. Firstly, I would like to state that I would only follow orders that I deem to be in line with my own principles. I would like to avoid situations where I would have to conduct large-scale massacres by the word of someone else. If I deem your orders to be unreasonable or dishonorable, there is every chance that I will reject it or go against it myself. Having said that, do you still wish to accept me into your ranks?"

I raised my eyebrow at that.

_He's nailed the fatal flaw of military service straight away. That is something that even Hayate and Chrono have trouble dealing with, let alone us Captain level officers. I wish I can assure myself of this condition too. _

Clearing my throat, I tried to answer his concerns as best I can.

"That's a tall order, even for us. Not that we would like for you to have to cause casualties unnecessarily of course. However, we can assure you that we hold the same considerations that you have and will fight against such orders from the higher-ups before it comes down to you forwards."

Lazlo's forehead knitted in a slight frown. Fate began this time.

"If it will allay your fears, Mobile Section 6 is essentially a response team that specializes in Lost Logia related incidents. We would not be required to carry out all out strikes like the conventional army does, within our frame of operations."

The young man nodded appreciatively at that. With a soft sigh, he carried on.

"That's fine then. I understand it is unavoidable in military service. I merely wished to affirm if my superiors would hold the same considerations as myself. As for my second condition, I would like to keep the full extent of my powers from being known or documented while in service. I expect your world to have your own troubles dealing with your own weapons and power-hungry people, and I would like to avoid complicating your situations further with my own."

I swallowed a little.

_He's driving a hard bargain. I'm interested to know how much power he has too. He seems wise to the traps and pitfalls of the military it seems. Oh, Fate's going to say something._

"As long as you retain and display the appropriate abilities and powers required to fulfill your missions, I have no problems with that. In fact, I would like for you to be discrete with them myself. Power always attracts unwanted attention. I would like to avoid that myself since we might be breaking a few rules to keep you with us."

Vivio sent a telepathic message to us straight away.

"_Mamas, can we really do that? Can we keep him?"_

"_Vivio, please don't make it sound like he's a pet. And yes. We can't really leave someone like him stranded on our world, especially since he had enough power to take down twenty four B class guards easily." _

I smiled at Fate, marveling at her thoughtfulness. I was broken out of my little daze when Lazlo cleared his throat softly.

"Ahem. I'm glad that you agree with me so far."

Fate then asked a question that was hanging on the back of my mind.

"You are rather used to military service, aren't you? Have you had any prior experience?"

"More than I care to repeat actually" He replied with a faraway look in his eye. For someone so young, his eyes looked so much older for a moment. He blinked again and the moment was gone.

"My last condition is actually more of a request than a condition. I would like the chance to work with or study the magic system that is used in this world."

"Isn't it a bit presumptuous of you to be learning our system of magic when you're adamant about sharing your own?" Fate replied before I could.

"That is true. Allow me to amend that request then. In return for that, I will provide tutelage in my runic system of magic, for academic purposes preferably. I believe it is reasonable for me to withhold potentially cataclysmic spells from the knowledge of this world, don't you think?"

I nodded a little over-eagerly, earning a wry smile from the young man. But Fate had something else to say.

"What is it about our magic system that has caught your eye?"

His expression became a little sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Actually, I'm interested in flying more than anything else. We already have defensive and offensive spells on my world, but we still can't fly without dragons or mantors."

We laughed politely at that confession. _He IS kinda cute._

"If that is all, then we accept your conditions. Welcome to Mobile Section 6." I said, offering a hand.

"Pleased to be here, Nanoha-san."

"Now then," Shamal chipped in. "First things first, we should check the quality of your Linker Core. Would you please sit down over by the bed so I can conduct a quick scan?"

Lazlo nodded and followed Shamal to one of the beds by the side of the room. I turned to Fate and Vivio.

"I'm glad that turned out well. I hope there won't be too much trouble with the administrative work. We'll have to draft up a new identity for him, as well as clear several things with Immigration and… "

"Daijiobu Nanoha-mama," Vivio began. "It'll be smooth sailing from here on. What else can go wrong now?"

As if on cue, Shamal let out a high-pitched shriek almost shrill enough to break all the glass within the room. Our heads snapped in her direction immediately.

"What do you mean it is beyond Triple S grade!" she screamed into the scanner. The room was silent for a few minutes before the blonde young man asked innocently.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Oh bother."

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(A few hours later, the group of us ended up in Shariff's lab.)

"You want me to what?" exclaimed an astonished Shariff.

"Erm… place enough limiters on him to scale his rank down to A… or double A at least." I said sheepishly.

"Nanoha-san, you know much trouble it was to keep yours down from SS to AAA. How can you expect me to do that again, and with someone who we might possibly have to create several ranks above Triple S for specifically?" continued the groaning mechanic.

"Erm," the young man in question started. "if the extent of my magical ability is a problem, I can always conceal it."

The four girls blinked.

"You can do that?" Vivio asked.

"Sure. Can't everyone?" He stated matter-of-factly.

"No, apparently not around here. Please try to conceal as much of it as you can." Fate added.

Lazlo breathed in slowly and closed his eyes in concentration. Incredibly, the meters on the scanner dropped from nearly breaking the SSS limit to a modest B. The amazing boy then opened his eyes and breathed out a slight sigh.

"How is that? If I go any further, I would have trouble maintaining it without conscious machination."

"That's fine…" I said, a little lost for words.

"Well, technically that doesn't count as being limited…" Shario began, equally startled.

"How did you do that?" Vivio questioned, taking the words out of my mouth.

Lazlo shrugged a little.

"Experience I guess. It was necessary to conceal my powers at times in my own world as well." he replied, glancing at his gloved left hand.

The vague response made the room silent for a while before Fate broke the silence with a slight cough.

"Fine then. That's one problem solved. But you can release a little more power to give yourself an A+ grade at least. That should be a little more comfortable for you I would expect."

"Whatever you say, madam."

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The next few moments were spent adjusting Lazlo's magical readings to an A+ rank. Apparently, the quality of the Linker Cores has little bearing on the power of his Runic magic.

"I wonder if we'll need to commission a device for him next." Fate mused aloud.

"Isn't that kind of, overkill? I mean, he's already plenty powerful as he is, from what you three have said about that incident with the guards." Shario interjected.

"Actually," the blonde began, "that wouldn't be much of a problem, since I would like to refrain from using too much Runic magic while I'm here. Besides, I do wish to learn more about your magic systems through actual application. In that aspect, I'm little more than an apprentice with a considerable starting base in magical ability..."

Vivio giggled a little before finishing the sentence for him. "Besides, you wanted to try flying too."

Lazlo smiled sheepishly. "That is an interest too, I'll admit."

"Fair enough." Fate decided. "Shario will need some readings and statistics about your abilities without magic to help design customise your device though."

I gave a sly smile. "Let's get the other forwards for this."

_This should be fun._

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(Sounds of clashing and explosions filled the air around the training field.)

_He's good, _I noted. The blonde had been matching Erio's Strada and Vivio's V-lancer blow for blow almost effortlessly with the training blades, all the while avoiding and deflecting Lutecia's shots. I nodded contentedly when I saw the readings Raising Heart has managed to get off the training device that Agito had turned into during the course of this little exercise.

"That's enough for now. Please take a five minute rest." I called out to a general nod of appreciation as the combatants lowered their weapons and walked towards the refreshments. Well, I was expecting to head that way before I noticed that Erio and Lutecia walking towards my direction instead."

"Nanoha-san, where did you find this guy?" the redhead started. "Was he in the special forces or something? He took on the three of us without breaking a sweat. Are you sure he's only A+ ranked?"

"What are you talking about?" I replied evasively. "He doesn't know much about magic you know. Look, he's not even using a proper device."

Lutecia continued the interrogation. "That may be so, but that level of skill is abnormal. I mean, you don't get guys with that level of swordsmanship falling out of the sky or something."

I had to grin at that. _IF only they knew._

"Come now. Are you guys sure you're not just shaken at the fact that your basic non-boosted combat skills need a bit more polishing then you thought? Tell you what, the next phase of this exercise is one-on-one practice with Lazlo over there, and you'll be allowed to use the full extent of your magic this time. I'm sure you can kick his butt then."

This time Caro, who had sneaked up on the group, added in concern. "Isn't that kind of unfair? You did say he doesn't have his own device and is a relatively new mage."

Erio patted her pink head lightly. "Don't worry. I'll go a little easier on him."

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(A few moments later, a certain redhead was panting heavily as a blonde stood his ground unruffled.)

"Still think it's unfair?" I whispered to the small group of audience that made up of the other forwards.

"Huh?" Vivio questioned.

Before I could say anything, Erio had leaped up into the air while Strada ejected four Belka cartridges.

_Four?_

The tall Forward then made a sonic move enhanced charge at the blonde. In response, Lazlo simply raised the sword in his right hand calmly and slowly upwards in a slanted parry while his other blade was kept flat on his body pointed towards the ground.

_Is he planning to parry Erio's Sonic Zeinslash? That's plain stupid and dangerous. The speed of the attack increases the power of the blow significantly, and that is just the start of the five part combination attack, each progressively faster than the previous. I should stop…_

By this time, Strada was about to connect with the training blade when Lazlo suddenly spun his body in a graceful pivot on his right foot. The training blade made a light contact sound with the spear but made no move to resist the impact placed on it, but rather followed though in the same direction, deflecting most of the attack from the blondes body. The other blade spun with his graceful turn and connected with Erio's back just as he blitzed past. The momentum of the turn combined with his considerable strength and the location of the strike drove Erio crashing rather hard into the ground in a cloud of dirt and smoke, rendering the rest of his attacks unexecuted as well. When the smoke cleared, Lazlo had one blade resting on one of Erio's shoulders with a modest smile on his face.

_He's not just good. He's very good._

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(A few minutes later, the two combatants were dusting the dirt off themselves.)

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Erio in admiration of the blonde swordsman.

"Razril's Gaien Knight Academy. First in my class." replied the meek Guard Wing.

"Is that somewhere far away?"

"I think so…"

Before two could continue, Vivio had rushed up to them.

"You two are all right? Amazing! And how did you counter Erio's attack without using magic or boosts?" gushed the young blonde.

Lazlo scratched his head a little.

"Well, I noticed the speed and patterns of his previous attacks from our exchange. So when those small cylinders ejected from his spear, I guessed that the next attack would be speed based, and probably faster than what I can react usually with my sight alone. In this situation, I assumed a modified Swallow stance. When the sword in my right hand sensed the downward air pressure and the impending strike, I turned my body while that sword drew the attack. I managed to divert the full impact of that attack by redirecting most of it away from my body, all the while calculating the best area to target from the speed of my turn and Erio's momentum that I could now feel. I didn't have to strike excessively hard, since all I had to do was drive him to hit the ground. That was plenty painful already… erm… are you a little lost?"

Vivio rubbed her chin in thought. "A little. Remind me to ask you to teach me how to fight like that again when we have the time, okay? Do you have any moves suitable for my Vivio Lancer?"

"I thought it was Velvet Lancer, Vivio. Don't go changing your devices name without its permission." I added as I walked up to them.

Lazlo smiled and nodded. "I don't mind. I am proficient with pole-arms, staves and bows as well."

"Count me in too. My ego's taken quite a beating already, so I better brush up my own skills too." Erio's eye flashed a mischievous light. "I don't like to be beat up too often you know."

"Hai hai," I said as I brought my hands together in a little clap. "Any one else wants to take on Lazlo for the day?"

An awkward silence ensued as the others looked blankly at each other.

_Hmm… Caro is a support oriented mage, Lutecia's ranged attacks didn't work earlier, and Vivio's definitely outclassed…_

"If that's that, let's call it a day today. I'm sure Agito would like a rest too."

In response, the training blades in Lazlo's hand began to glow red and fused together before a small sprite with red hair appeared.

"YES! Finally I get a mention. Do you guys realise how long I have been banging myself unto your devices all day? My head still hurts from it all. I hope the readings are good enough Nanoha-san."

I smiled and thanked the little spitfire appreciatively. Well, there were other training devices available, but Lazlo had mentioned that his specialty was with dual blades and none of the swords available were synchronized for simultaneous use. In the end, poor Agito had to materialize the swords using herself as the cores, according to Lazlo's design.

"I think it has more to do with her having to stay quiet for so long." muttered a certain larger redhead.

"I heard that!"

A round of laughter filled the air as Erio hurriedly patted out the fire on his boots.

"Well, I have sent the data to Shario already. It seems like she'll have your device ready by dinner."

"Hiyah!" exclaimed the other Forwards.

I chuckled at their reaction.

"It seemed that she was quite certain that Lazlo would prefer a sword-type device. She mentioned something about how it was romantic to have a magic swordsman combination. Anyway, there was apparently a device like that on the works and she is merely completing it with the data from today."

"Romantic?" quizzed Lazlo.

"I'll never understand girls…" added Erio.

"I'll say…" muttered Lutecia and Caro.

"Huh? What are you guys mumbling about?" asked Vivio.

"In any case," I cut in before Vivio got chewed out by the other two girls. "would you like to name your device beforehand? I thought it would be a good idea considering…" I looked at Vivio.

"A name eh?" pondered Lazlo. "I would like something in the language of this world. Is there a translation for white snow?"

"Why that specifically if I may ask?" queried Caro

"Even if snow can be cold and harsh, its core remains pure and true. That's how I would like to remember someone by." Lazlo explained

"Your girlfriend perhaps?" Vivio asked shyly.

"It's the name of an old friend."

"What happened to him or her?" quizzed Lutecia in return.

"He died of old age. But I would still like to remember him by."

"I see. How about Yukishiro? It means Snow and White literally in Japanese." I offered.

He had that faraway look in his eyes again. He must miss his friend. Not many people makes friends with someone so much older.

"I like it. I'll take it."

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Author's Notes:

Another chapter down. Now for certain references:

Swallow stance: A fencing style used by Richard of the Lindwurm Mercenary Brigade in Suikoden V. He's known as the blademaster for being an excellent swordsman who can parry almost every attack. Swallow is actually the rune that enables him to use a devastating attack that either triples damage or kills outright, so I thought I might as well expand it into a school of fencing that entails all these traits. One trait of Richard's fencing style in SV is that he tends to spin and manoeuvre his body during attack and defence, so I added that in. I imagine this style as graceful and elegant type of swordplay. I'll add in two other fencing styles later on if I can; namely the Falcon Style (Belcoot) and the Phoenix Style (Chris Lightfellow).

Snowe Vingerhut: Lazlo's best friend in Suikoden IV. Despite being best friends and constant companions, Snow developed a certain jealousy of Lazlo's abilities. That, together with a misunderstanding concerning the death of their commander Glenn Cott meant the two became opposing figures. After several rounds of conflict, Snowe was defeated and forgiven repeatedly by Lazlo before finally seeing that he had been wrong all along. This brought the friends back together and it was found that the core of their friendship had not changed even after all they have been through, hence the description of how snow is harsh and cold, but remains pure all the same. As Lazlo is evidently an immortal due to the True Rune he bears, Snowe presumably died of old age.

More to come later. I'm thinking of writing more action. We'll see how things go.

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Omake 1: Bonfire

(Suikoden 3 characters standing by a bonfire. Their faces shrouded in shadows)

C: What do you guys want to do now?

H: I don't know. Any ideas?

G: How about starting another war? The last one was quite entertaining.

C: You know we can't do that. Leknaat will nag our ears off for a good part of eternity.

H: How about burning a whole city down? My Rune is feeling rusty.

C: I don't want to clean up your pyromaniac mess again. Do it if you want to douse the fires by yourself.

G: This immortality thing is no fun. Maybe we should just attack each other right now to see who's going to remain standing. (A blue cackle of energy surrounds his right hand.)

H: You're on. (A red glow emanated from his right hand.)

C: Mou... You two are as bad as Yuber.

(The other two growled before pouting at the white haired girl.)

G + H: How come he gets to have all the fun…?


	6. Chapter 6

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 5: The Scholar

_This feels rather nice. Eating together like this, the cross table chatter, the passing around of bowls filled with food and the general sense of familiarity… it's almost like reliving my days in Razril all over again. Although things have definitely changed… I'm no longer 17 anymore and most of my friends are long gone… but still, it feels nice to lose myself to nostalgia once in a while. I could get used to this place after all._

"Is the food not to your liking Lazlo?" Vivio's question shook me out of my slight daze.

"Oh no, it's really delectable. I was just lost in my thoughts."

"Oh. What's on your mind then? Anything I could help with?" continued the young blonde.

"It's nothing like that. I was just thinking how nice it is to be eating like this in a crowd. It has been a while since I had a chance to do that, so I was reminded of some of my old friends. It feels like everyone's almost like a family here."

Vivio flashed a brilliant smile and leaned in closer. "Well, that's not far off. Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama are my mothers, this you know, but Erio and Carol were adopted by Fate-mama before I was too, so they're technically my older brother and sister too. Lutecia and Agito have been with us for close to ten years too, so they're part of the family too. I'm sure you will too in time."

"Family you say. You would like that wouldn't you, Vivio?" added Lutecia with a sly smile.

"Wha-wha… what are you talking about Lutecia?" stammered the girl.

"Hee…, I think she means that there are more than one ways of becoming family with someone. For instance… Vivio could just ma…" continued Caro with an equally devious grin.

"Ah mou!" Vivio exclaimed as she bolted to her feet, red in the face. "I'm going to get the ice-cream now, and you two aren't getting any!"

"Sure. We can tell who needs cooling off more, judging from our faces." quipped Erio matter-of-factly without looking up.

"Not you too Erio! ARGH!" and with that, the shortish blonde stomped off away from a chorus of laughter, presumably towards the kitchens.

I blinked. Secretly I was amused, but I liked playing the fool.

"What was that about? Was it something I said, or is she usually like this?"

"Let's just say you have quite an effect on her." giggled the pink-haired girl.

"I can already tell you're gonna be fun to be around." added Lutecia with a pat on my shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Haha, don't worry too much over it. It's the job of the big brother and sisters to rile up the shy little sister. It's your loss if you over-think it." explained Erio nonchalantly.

"O-kay…" I was running out of clueless expressions at an alarming rate.

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(Vivio was walking back to the table with a tray of what I assume to be ice-cream when Nanoha-san walked in the door with Shario-san and Fate-san.)

"Ah, Lazlo. There you are. I have your device right here. Would you like to take it for a spin?" my madam captain said.

"Ah yes. I would like that actually."

Grinning happily, she held out her hand where a silver chain with a white snowflake dangled.

"I thought you might like this design."

I accepted the chain and looked at it hesitantly.

"Please don't take it the wrong way, and I really do appreciate the gesture… but I thought I was going to be using a sword?"

A small round of giggles sounded behind me, while I tried my best to stop my brows from twitching.

"All you have to do is hold out your hand and say 'Yukishiro, set up.' It's not very complicated, although the actual usage of the device is a lot more complex than that."

"Okay… Here's goes nothing. Yukishiro, set up."

A small flash of white light expanded from the snowflake insignia and it rose a little distance from my hand. The cocoon of light expanded and elongated to form a long object that stretched out beginning from where my hand was. The light faded after a short while and in its place, a sword with a pure white blade appeared. I reached my hand out and grasped the hilt, swinging it a little too artistically before bringing the blade up to my eyes to inspect it. The sword was of a katana design; a single cutting edge with a midare pattern and specks of white snow flakes etched inconspicuously on the body of the blade. My eye glazed over a little as I attempted to make a connection with my soon-to-be new partner, assessing our compatibility with each other. Unconsciously, I muttered out something driven the by pure instinct of a swordsman.

"Well-weighted and finely balanced, a blade of unbreakable resolve and a thirst for honour above triumph. A remarkable sword indeed."

A strange new voice rang out from the white sword, startling me out of my trance.

"Thank you, my sovereign."

I had to raise my brow at that.

"It talks?"

"Ah, yes. Yes it does. Did I not mention that? It is an intelligent device, meaning it has a limited sentience programmed into it. It helps the communication link between mage and device, hence enhancing spell-casting. Although this is the first time I heard a device address anyone by such a high title." explained Nanoha-san a little belatedly. Apparently the others around me were entranced by my inspection of the sword as well. I wonder why.

_But a talking sword eh… _An image of the Star Dragon Sword came to mind. _I hope it doesn't have an attitude like Viktor's. That Night Rune was annoying to say the least. Powerful, but annoying nonetheless._

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Yukishiro."

"Likewise, my sovereign."

_My sovereign… how long has it been since I last held that kind of rank… wait, how does it know that I am of royal birth?_

"Erm, pardon me for asking, but how does the sword select the title to address its wielder?"

"Usually it is picked at random by the device itself, in lieu of the characteristics it recognizes in a mage. I'm not really sure myself. Luck perhaps." Shario-san answered my query.

_Luck… I guess it must be Fate then… and no, I don't mean the other madam captain. Oh well…_

"Well then, we'll take you to Yunno tomorrow at the Infinity Library for a crash course in our magic system, as well as to fulfill part of our recruitment conditions."

The sword in my hand returned to its pendant form as soon as I thought of keeping the sword away. _There must be some sort of telepathic link between us. That makes things convenient…_

"I can't wait for tomorrow then."

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The next day came quickly enough. The captains had been nice enough to prepare an unused room for my stay, although I spent most of the night watching something called "television". Apparently there were quite a few similarities and differences between our worlds. At least it was interesting learning of these new things. Meeting up in the morning, we travelled via carriage… a car as they call it… to another building before I felt the somewhat familiar feeling of my particles disassembling and reassembling.

"The Infinity Library. It is the largest archive of data and information in the TSAB and has almost everything about everything."

"A scholar's haven then." I mused.

"That's right. You'll be meeting a friend of ours, Yunno Scrya. He's a scholar and a very knowledgeable man. He would be the one you should seek for detailed studies in magic."

"I look forward to meeting him then"

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"Yunno Scrya. Head librarian of the Infinity Library."

"Lazlo En Kuldes. Newest member of Mobile Section 6. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Erm, me too. I've heard a lot about you. Shall we get started? I'm rather keen to begin our discussion."

"Likewise. We have much to do I wager."

"Now then…"

The two of us started to describe our respective magic systems in general before delving deeper into the details. By this time I briefly noticed the two captains making a quiet exit, a sly whisper and a hushed retort.

"We'll be leaving you now. Two Yunnos is enough to make it look like a nerds convention already."

"Fate!"

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"I see. So each rune is a manifestation of a fraction of a force in the universe, and there are essentially 27 of such forces in the universe?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"So if by that logic, there should be 27 extremely powerful runes that bear the majority of those forces too. Since now that we have established that there are multiple worlds and that the runes are only known to be found in your world, so by the principle of equivalent tradeoffs, it would be safe to theorize that the potentially huge imbalances are filled by these equally powerful crystallizations of powers."

_He's good. Close, but not exactly… well, it'll do for now._

"That's right. These are known as the 27 True Runes. But they are rare and unique runes that can't be controlled by anyone other than their chosen bearers. Their level of sentience is significantly higher than any other rune and is enough to drive any lesser mages insane or enslaved by the Rune's will. Although it can be speculated that True Runes need no human bearers to begin with, since they far outdate humanity according to the lore of my world."

"Fascinating. So, your system of magic uses a combination of the mage's own latent abilities to draw out, direct and amplify the Rune's own innate power, as opposed to our system of using our own magical ability to power our spells via channeling them through a magical circuit."

"Yes. That seems to be the case. On that note, the thing you call Linker Cores would be equivalent of the crystallized essence of a mage's latent magic ability."

"That seems to fit with both our theories of magic. It seems fair to theorize that the mages of your world have felt the existence of them too, but lack the technology to properly identify them like we do. In the end, both systems might originate from the same human foundations, but branched out differently with regards to the method of execution."

"Possibly, although I'm still a little stumped at how magical circuits can replace the Runes as the basis of magic. Perhaps we have been more than a little spoilt with regards to our Runic magic than we knew."

"I guess we have technology to thank for that. We've managed to accomplish a lot in these few hours. Would you like to break for lunch?"

"I appreciate the offer but I would like to begin learning about your magic circuits.

Apparently I need a crash course in it before I can start casting spells in your system."

"Knock yourself out." The blonde in glasses levitated a series of books down from some unseen shelves. "These books detail some basic, intermediate and advanced MidChilda and Belka-type magic circuits. You should find them useful somewhat."

"Thank you Yunno-san."

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_These patterns are so hard to memorize, even by my standards. Not to mention that there are so many different forms for different applications. Even the slightest variation could cause a different effect from what is desired. We don't even have anything close to… _

My eyes widened in realization as I looked at a pattern out of an old Mid Childa book.

_Wait, I've seen something like this before. Where have I… The SINDAR! _

I almost leapt to my feet.

_That's why some of the circuits are so familiar! I've seen them before in the books relating Sindar rituals and certain ruins. If this is the case, it would mean that the Sindar had appeared in this world an ancient time ago. That would mean that the Rune of Change had transferred the Sindar over to this world too as part of its effect. That would also explain the vast gaps in the records of the Sindar between centuries in my world. What a revelation! And going by that line of thought, it would explain the existence of some runes within this world as well. Probably what the captains referred to as Lost Logia. _

A cold shiver passed through the back of my spine at my next realisation.

_That means that… it is equally possible for this world to contain True Runes as well. Counting me, Tir, Sierra, Geddoe, Hugo, Chris, Sasarai, The Sun Rune in Falena, The Star Dragon Sword, Milia, the halves held by Riou, Jowy and Matron and the Hachifusa held by Yuber… that makes it possible for any of the other fourteen and a half unaccounted True Runes to show up here as well… out of Matron and the rune keepers reach… This is not good… not good at all…_

By this time, Yunno has returned to the study room that we had been occupying. Upon seeing my paled expression, he gulped and asked.

"Lazlo-san, you don't look too well."

"Yunno-san. We might have a problem."

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(Somewhere far away, in an outpost planet outside of TSAB jurisdiction, a large flash of red and scarlet light erupted from its surface before forming a slit, as though through the fabric of reality itself. A black armoured hand emerged from it.)

A cloaked unknown man raised his hands out to the entity exiting the rift.

"We bid you welcome to my world, the great Arbitrator of Chaos. We are your humble worshippers that have summoned you into being. With your power, we will finally be able to rid the world of the blasted TSAB and restore Chaos as the rightful state of the wor…. Argh!!!"

Before the man could finish his speech, he found two jet black blades emerging from the black knight gauntlets, and himself severed from his head, arms, legs and torso before a shocked audience.

"Fools. No one controls Chaos. I just am."

The nightmarish visage seems to fade out for a second before the other eight men cowering before the sight screamed out together in anguish as they met their maker, literally. The knight lapsed into hysterical laugher and his eyes filled with glee.

"Time for some fun."

With that, he leaped into the air and turned into a black stream of light that headed off into space.

In the aftermath, amidst the scattered appendages and entrails, a dying whisper was left unheard by anyone.

"Yu…be…"

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Author's Notes:

There you have it. I've finally given Lazlo his device. You can only imagine how much more overpowered he's going to be, but what would be the Nanoha series without overpowered characters with the ability to blow whole planets away at their fingertips? But then, I digress.

The later portion of this story is actually more important for plot, for it tries to connect the Rune system and the Mid Childa- Belka magic systems properly. Extra brownie points for those who picked up the slight FMA reference. But the more important connection is with that of the Sindar. I hope I've expanded the explanation enough for my readers to be open about the possibility of the yet unclaimed or unknown True Runes to exist within the Nanoha Universe, possibly as some of the Lost Logias in question. This would also make the shifting Sindar something of an Alhazred, the place of secret technologies and magic that Fate's mother Precia Testarosa was aiming for. A nice twist, no?

And what would a fantasy piece be without our favourite bloodthirsty demon. Need it say more? But please don't expect a confrontation any time soon. We all know that proper end-of-the-worlds take time. Now for more references:

Geddoe: The bearer of the True Lightning rune.

Chris Lightfellow: The bearer of the True Water rune.

Hugo: The bearer of the True Fire rune.

The Sun Rune: A True Rune protected by the Falenan royal family. It has the power equivalent of the Sun itself.

The Rune of Change: A True Rune borne by the leader of the Sindar. As a result, the Sindar exists intermittently throughout space and time. The rune governs and allows the possibility of change within the Universe, as well as providing the possibility of growth.

The Sindar: An ancient civilisation in the Suikoden Universe. Not much is known about them, except that they hold some kind of connections with multiple True Runes, hold extremely advanced technology, and appear intermittently throughout different and at times, conflicting times and spaces. Many scholars have studied them (Kyril, Lorelai, Zweig…), but have little to show for it, probably due to this discrepancy.

The Star Dragon Sword: The chosen form of the Night Rune, the rune with the power of the night itself. It was last seen with Viktor and Edge from Suikoden 2 and 3 respectively. Its powers are not known, other than the ability to decimate creatures of the night like vampires, but may be as powerful as its counterpart, the Sun Rune at least. The sword itself is also sentient and talks, much to the dismay of the people around it as it has quite an ego and attitude to boot.

Milia: The bearer of the Dragon Rune. The rune allows dragons to cross dimensions, and acts as one of the runes that allows for the existence of multiple universes and dimensions. Caro's dragon summons might be tied to this in the later chapters as well.

Riou: The bearer of the Bight Shield Rune, which is half of the (True) Rune of Beginning. I've chosen to grant him immortality as well, even though he only possesses half a True Rune, as there are precedents in Leknaat and the half of the True Water's powers in the case of Wyatt Lightfellow-Jimba.

Jowy: The bearer of the Black Sword Rune, which is is half of the (True) Rune of Beginning. I've chosen to grant him immortality as well due to the above reasons for Riou.

Hacifusa Rune: Not a well-known rune even by Suikoden hardcore fanatics, other than its ability to summon nightmarish creatures from another world. In my story however, I might use it as the manifestation of Chaos as a force of the universe, the anti-thesis of the Circle Rune that represents Order. It is held by Yuber…

Yuber: to be continued later, for much dramatic effect.

And there you have it for this chapter. The references are kept to a need to know basis for most of them, until I decide to incorporate them more deeply later on. Hope it's enough to keep you on your toes for my next chapter that might be a little later than the neck-breaking speed I'm writing at.

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Omake 2: Bonfire revisited

(Pre-Suikoden 3 characters, their faces also shrouded)

W: So what do you guys want to do with your lives now?

F: I don't know. I think I might go find that Sana girl and live a normal life with her.

G: By normal you mean lots of hot…

(G shuts up after seeing that red glow on his right hand.)

F: What about you two then?

W: I think I should get back to my wife for now. I do miss her and Chris very much

G: Right… I still bet it's the ….

(G shuts up after seeing that blue glow on his right hand.)

F: So what will you be doing then G?

G: Me? Probably wander around before heading to Caleria for a cool drink perhaps.

(F & W sniggers.)

W: So much for someone who can't find his own hot…

(This time a blue cackle came out from his right hand.)

(L looks at the three from overhead and mutters…)

L: Kids…


	7. Chapter 7

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 6: Prophecy

_I can't wait to see Aunt Carim again! How long has it been since I last saw her… three months? Half a year? Well, it feels like an eternity to me already. I was so happy when Fate-mama told me that Aunt Carim had invited us over for a little family gathering. I'm sure she must miss seeing us too, since she is always busy being the Leader of the Saint Church Knights and all. The notice was a little short, but not that I'm complaining! I like surprises. And since it's a family gathering, I might see Uncle Chrono and Aunt Amy too… Oh, we're reaching…_

Fate-mama's black car pulled into the parking lot outside the Saint Church and the three of us alighted quickly. I stood outside and marveled at the beautiful white structure in front of us. The design reminded me of a church, but the stature and size of it resembled more of a castle.

"This is your first time here, isn't it?" Fate-mama said, patting my head slightly.

"Yep. This place is gorgeous. Aunt Carim actually works in such a wonderful place?"

"Yes, she does. She runs the place after all. Now, more importantly, be on your best behaviour okay? This place is crawling with high ranking officers and I don't want my Vivio to be court-martialled for being impolite." Nanoha-mama added.

"Mou. What am I? Seven? I know what to do Nanoha-mama." I defended myself indignantly.

"Hmmm… as I recall, a certain blonde kept on crying till she was seven. Oh! And there was that one time…" Fate-mama mused aloud.

"LALALA! I'm not listening! Come on, let's go in already. I can't wait to see everybody." I cut in before she finished and slotted my arms through their own and pulled them towards the entrance. Now, if only they would stop laughing at my expense.

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The three of us made our way down the halls towards Aunt Carim's chambers. Along the way, we were greeted by salutes by almost everyone we met. It's times like this that I realize once again how much of a legend my two mothers were.

_They're sure going to be one hell of a hard act to follow up on…_

Soon enough, we made it to the designated room.

_And about time. I was getting tired of saluting back everyone already._

And the double-doors opened.

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What I saw behind those doors made me straighten my back all the way. Seated before a round table in the centre of the room were several unfamiliar faces. Several unfamiliar faces in military uniforms. Several unfamiliar faces in military uniforms bearing the ranks of majors, admirals and colonels… I have never seen so many "stars" in one place before…

_And they said it was going to be a family gathering…_

I snapped into a salute straightaway, all too aware that I'm outranked at least ten times over by almost everyone else in the room.

_Well, just the weight of their combined rank insignias would be enough to squash me into the ground… not that I mind the ground swallowing me up right now._

"Nanoha, Fate! You came! And you've brought Vivio too! Ah, how much you've grown! You look like a fine lady already." Aunt Carim stood up and walked towards us, extending her greetings.

"It has been too long Carim. You know we would jump at the first excuse to come see you." Nanoha-mama replied.

"Thanks Nanoha. And Vivio, what are you standing all rigid for? You're looking kind of pale."

"I think she's star-struck." giggled Fate-mama.

"Fate-mama… you said it was a family gathering, so I thought it would be informal…"

Aunt Carim chuckled a bit. "Sorry about that," Her face got a little solemn after that. "but there were certain circumstances that required me to hold this meeting in an unofficial capacity…"

Looking at my expression of concern and general confusion, she continued.

"But don't worry. The people seated here are some of my best friends, companions and colleagues. Just relax okay. Everyone's family to me here and so no one is going to pull rank on you today."

I nodded slowly before I let my grin take over my face.

"That said…" I glomped her immediately. "That means I can do this too. I missed you too, Aunt Carim."

My cheeks heated up when I heard a small murmur of "Aws", giggles and laughter from the table. Well, my own two mamas weren't helping either. I withdrew from the hug quickly.

"Well take a seat by the table. I'll get down to business shortly after Hayate's group gets here."

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(Aunt Hayate and her knights arrived a little after us and the meeting is about to commence.)

I looked around the room shyly, trying my best no to make eye contact with some of the unfamiliar faces unnecessarily. There was Aunt Hayate and company a few seats down, Uncle Chrono alongside some of the older looking men while Subaru-san's dad Major Nakajima, Grandma Lindy, Admiral Leti and Acous-san directly opposite of us. It was then that Aunt Carim cleared her throat to gather our attention.

"My friends and family, I appreciate your turning up at such short notice. I know I said that this was going to be a family gathering, but I'm afraid I have rather serious business to discuss with you all. Of course, please remain as informal as you wish, since we are among friends here."

A general round of nods acknowledged Aunt Carim.

"The main reason I have gathered you all here today, is that I received another prophecy. One of far dire consequence than the one I received for the Jail Scaglietti incident."

Her book-type device began to hover, glow and its pages began to unbind itself and circled around the table.

"As you all know, the accuracy and frequency of my predictions are usually indefinite. However, I'm afraid they usually have a habit of coming true as well. A few weeks ago, I received this prophecy."

One of the pages flew to the centre of the circle and projected a hologram image of a bunch of foreign, cryptic symbols and writing. Aunt Carim continued.

"Our research department have been translating this particular prophecy since then, but it has proven significantly more difficult to translate than previous ones. So far, we only managed to get these phrases down."

From the previous image, some of the symbols glowed and changed to modern Mid Childa.

"Three years, demon, end of the worlds… Carim, what does this all mean?" Uncle Chrono asked with a very grim expression.

"At the moment I can't tell you very much, but it is as disturbing as what the words so far suggest. Judging from previous experiences, the harder it is to translate a prophecy, the more serious the predicted calamity. My team is working on it round the clock, but progress is slow…"

"This sounds serious. But why did you choose to hold an informal meeting to discuss this of all things?" One of the unfamiliar women asked.

"I do not have a choice. Officially, my predictions are not considered as sufficient official substance to warrant a council meeting, let alone to formulate a formal course of countermeasures and actions. What I can do is to provide you, my friends, with this warning and trust that you will be able to prepare for the calamity beforehand… no doubt the one confronting this calamity will fall to us in the end…"

"Stupid stuffy higher ups. Talk about being close-minded… how many times have your predictions came true and you warnings timely? How dare they…" One of the gruffer looking admirals started before Admiral Leti cut in.

"They have their own agendas and considerations. Rather than concern ourselves with them, we should discuss of what we can do in preparation for the calamity. I'm sure no one here doubts the eventuality of Carim's prediction, am I right?"

Another round of nods.

"I… I have an idea…" I stammered out. All the heads turned to look at me. _What was I thinking!?_

Aunt Carim gave me a warm smile and encouraged me to speak up.

"I… I think it would help us decide how to prepare if we knew more of the prophecy… so in that case, perhaps we can ask Uncle Yunno to help out the research team? He is a rather smart person after all… and he does read a lot about ancient stuff."

A general silence befell the room before a smile lit up on Aunt Carim's face.

"That is a good idea actually! Why didn't I think of that?"

"Well," Uncle Chrono pondered aloud. "he is a civilian collaborator. Although I generally do not approve of putting civilians in the line of fire, I believe Vivio's suggestion is a good one. He is quite the bookworm after all."

"Alright then. Thank you for the suggestion Vivio. And thank you Nanoha and Fate for bringing her along."

"Of course. That's my girl." Nanoha-smiled proudly at me while Fate-mama patted my head happily.

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A transmission window opened on one of the few empty seats around the table, showing a slightly more disheveled looking Uncle Yunno engaging in a fierce discussion with… Lazlo?

"Hi, Yunno-kun. Erm, are we interrupting something?" Aunt Carim inquired politely.

"Huh? Carim? Oh, erm, sort of. Is anything the matter?" Uncle Yunno replied, temporarily halting the discussion with Lazlo, who waved a little upon seeing me from a corner I suppose. Somehow I felt my cheeks warm again as I sank slightly lower into my chair to hide it.

"Actually, we have a rather important favor to ask of you. You see…"

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"That sounds really bad… Of course I will help out. Although…" he looked at Lazlo for a moment. "-what we were discussing was kind of important too."

"I'm sorry and thank you. The prophecy in question is in the centre of the table. I'll transmit you a copy too."

"Be warned, all who dwell here and beyond," started Lazlo all of a sudden.

"Not long have thy, not more than three. The wheels are turning, the demon is returning. Above all, the end of the worlds is coming."

Silence befell upon the room, for perhaps the second time today. It was a while before a voice sounded out.

"Erm, my apologies. Am I not supposed to read that?"

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"You can read it?" exclaimed Uncle Yunno, being the first to recover from astonishment.

"Well, yes. Quite fluently actually. It's just like what we have been discussing, the theory that Mid Childa and Belka magic systems may have originated from the temporal and spatial shifting Sindar civilisation from my world, perhaps a splinter of if not the actual one. Besides that wasn't in Belkan, it was clearly in Sindar..."

"Interesting… by that logic, it may very well be possible that the ancient Belkan language was derived partly from your Sindar language as well. Curioser and curioser…"

"Excuse me, Yunno-kun, but who is that along with you?" Aunt Carim managed to get out.

"Oh, my apologies for being tardy madam. I'm Lazlo En Kuldes. The newest Guard Wing for Mobile Section 6 under both Captain Takamichis."

"And you can read the text in the middle of the table?" continued Aunt Carim.

"I can't really see the rest of it from here, but quite possibly yes."

"I see. Would you mind helping us decipher the rest of the prophecy? It's fairly urgent and important."

"If it is the wish of my captains, I will gladly assist you madam knight."

Aunt Carim looked at my mothers and they gave a nod of approval.

"Very well then. Please spare me some time for my task."

The transmission window closed as Lazlo presumably got down to work. Aunt Carim looked at my parents with incredulity in her eyes.

"Where did you find this guy?"

"Well…" Nanoha-mama started sheepishly. "Would you believe it if I said he fell out of the sky?"

_I think she's sick of using that line too._

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Meanwhile, Aunt Carim decided to take the opportunity to break for lunch and everyone shifted to the dining hall. Lazlo became the topic of interest as my mamas were surrounded with queries about the odd blonde Forward. Things quietened down when we were seated by a table however and I heard Fate-mama give a hefty sigh.

"I hope we still get to keep him now."

"Huh? Why do you say that Fate-mama?" I asked a little too quickly.

"Well," explained Nanoha-mama. "-it's like that time with Yunno. Everyone was pulling at him to join their unit after his contributions towards the end of a particular incident until he elected to join the Infinity Library."

My shoulders sank a little as I lowered my head.

"Don't worry, Vivio." Fate-mama said, as if to cheer me up. "I'll do my best to keep him around for you too."

_Am I that obvious?_

"Thanks, Fate-mama…" I said softly, letting her comment go while trying not to blush too hard this time.

"Huh? What do you…" Nanoha-mama was interrupted by the arrival of almost all of the unfamiliar faces I saw earlier.

"Hello Nanoha-san, long time no see." said one of the gruff-looking men.

"Ah, it is nice to see you too Captain Boris. Oh, this is my daughter Vivio."

Recovering from earlier, I straightened myself out and acted out the role of the good kid for my Nanoha-mama. I was promptly introduced to everyone there. There was Sir Galahad, Sir Ector, Sir Kay, Lady Danielle, Lady Bedivere and Lady Airianne from the Saint Church Knights and Admirals Boris, Admiral Yeltsman, Admiral Zala and Admiral Yamato from the Navy, who turned out to be fellow captains alongside Uncle Chrono. I found them to be really nice people to be around and I lost all my former unease around them quickly.

_Trust Aunt Carim to have such warm people as friends. Then again that includes me and my mamas too. Hee…_

The small gathering eventually excused themselves and dispersed to smaller groups, but I still gazed amusedly at how some of them were acting really silly when they were informal.

"They're nice people aren't they?" asked Fate-mama

"Yes they are. To think I was almost afraid of them earlier too."

"Well, they are important people in the navy and the Saint Church, so it helps to be friendly with them. Not that it is the reason we are friendly with them, but there will be times when we need their help and cooperation too."

I nodded slowly, trying to absorb the information Fate-mama gave me.

"Fate, don't be teaching Vivio about politics yet. And Vivio, just treat them as your friends or uncles and aunts. Don't worry about other things for now."

"Okay, Nanoha-mama."

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Some time during lunch, a transmission message from the Infinity library arrived with a high security message. Soon after, we found ourselves back in the round table and the messages displayed in a projection.

---------------------

Be warned, all who dwell here and beyond

Not long have thy, not more than three

The wheels are turning, the demon is returning

Above all, the end of the worlds is coming

A battle unlike any since the beginning

A battle to rival that of the beginning

A battle to decide the beginning of the end

A battle to decide the beginning or the end

The trial will be decided by the actions of two

One who guides the stars to their places

One who leads the stars in those places

Tied is not the destiny of just the one or the two

Such is the destiny of the hundred and eight.

---------------------

A murmur sounded throughout the room as various people tried their best to make out what the prophecy means. Being able to read the prophecy doesn't really mean we can properly understand it. A transmission window from the Infinity Library soon opened.

"Did you manage to receive the translation?" asked Uncle Yunno with concern.

"Yes we did. Thank you, Yunno-kun, Lazlo-san. Although we could use some help making sense of it too." replied Aunt Carim with a weary look.

"About that… Lazlo, you up to it?" Uncle Yunno asked over his shoulders.

"I'm fine." muttered Lazlo tiredly. _Poor thing… Perhaps he had been working too hard._

Lazlo's face came into view and he began to explain the cryptic verses.

"Well, this is just speculation on our part, but regarding the first verse, we believe it serves as a warning of things to come. Firstly, the mention of here and beyond and end of the worlds as opposed to a singular would suggest that the predicted incident will potentially impact more than one world. A large scale disaster if you will, perhaps something Yunno-san calls a cross dimensional rift… or something like that. The mention of three may refer to the time towards that crisis. I have no way of telling if its three days, months or years for that. The mention of demon may represent that there's a singular culprit that is plotting that end."

_I have never seen so many frowns at once…_

"The other two verses make several references to the lore of my world, so you may choose to accept or reject my conjecture. The second verse mentions beginnings and ends and repeats them in various sequences with varying significances. In the lore of my world, there is a myth of creation.

---------------------

In the beginning, there was "darkness." Then, the "darkness" shed a "tear."

From that "tear," the brothers Sword and Shield were born.

Shield claimed it could defend against any attack.

Sword claimed it could slice through anything.

The brothers began a legendary battle.

At the end, both Sword and Shield shattered.

Sword became the sky, Shield became the earth, and the sparks from the battle became the stars.

As for the jewels, they fell to the ground and became the True Runes--The runes that all other runes were born from.

---------------------

If we make references to that, the second verse predicts a fierce combat, one which rivals the scale of the Sword and the Shield. You can imagine the amount of damage and the amount of energy something like that might cause, and it might truly cause the end of the world. The references may also indicate the involvement of the True Runes in the middle of this conflict. That in itself is a serious complication with disastrous consequences…"

"What is a Rune? And what is a True Rune?" inquired Acous-san.

"To put it as simply as I can, it is a crystallization of the world's forces that is used in the magic system used in my world. For instance, a Fire Rune literally gives its bearer the ability to generate and control fire. The True Runes are the most powerful concentration of that force within a compressed form of a Rune. If you need a rule of measure of their power, there is a True Rune known as the Sun Rune, which possesses the power equivalent of the Sun itself. So technically, we only need one of that to destroy a whole world."

A hushed gasp was heard in the direction where Aunt Shamal was covering her mouth.

"Moving on, the last verse makes references to the concept of the hundred and eight stars. There have been similar cataclysmic trials in my own world, and they have generally been averted by the intervention of a hundred and eight people. This does not mean the action of the hundred and eight, but the resonance of their collected fates. The time may come when these selected stars will get into position, some by offering help directly, others by the power of their thoughts and well-wishes. Somehow, the situation seems to resolve themselves one way or another when this happens and the crisis will be defeated."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but aren't what you are saying just conjecture based on folk lore from your world, wherever that is? And what about the hundred and eight? Can a crisis really resolve itself just like that?" asked Major Nakajima skeptically.

"That is true, but who are we to question the higher order of things? This is my best bet at the moment. If it helps allay some of your skepticism, I can assure you that Runes exist at the very least." Lazlo raised his right hand and a pale green glow shone brightly to make his point.

"Yunno-san and I were working on some theories on the Runes, Mid Childa and Belka magic systems and so far, we are fairly certain that there are some links between them as well."

The table was lost for words.

"What would be your suggestion for a proper course of action then, Lazlo-san?" Aunt Carim asked slowly.

Lazlo thought for a moment.

"I suggest you prepare your troops for an impending large scale battle, step up on training and upgrading your weapons. If it is possible, I also suggest you conduct wide scale searches for abnormally large concentrations of energy. Even though True Runes usually lie dormant until activated, and may assume the form of anything it wishes to, once it is activated, the intensity of the energy release will become a beacon of sorts."

Grandma Lindy sighed and added. "So we can only sit back and wait for that as the declaration of war? Not a very promising prospect."

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(Back at the Infinity Library, the transmission window was closed.)

"I'm glad that's over for now. Would you like a drink?" Yunno-san offered.

"I would be most grateful actually. Thanks." I accepted.

Soon after Yunno-san left the room, an all too familiar pale blue light flashed in front of me and a haunting visage appeared before me, closed eyes, white cape, smug smile and all.

"There is NO bleeding way I'm going to be the Tenkai star! I'm supposed to be on vacation, remember!?"

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Author's Notes:

I apologise for the lack of fun within this chapter. It is difficult and somewhat inappropriate to include something like that when plotting a sufficiently doomsday scenario for this bunch of overpowered mages with fleets of warships and guns. I've managed to include Suikoden's creation myth into the fray while coming out with a simple rhetoric that served as the prophecy. That's quite draining for me as it is. With regards to the large number of peripheral high-ranking people I introduced in this chapter, please don't pay overdue attention to them. All I can say is that I needed more names to fill in my own hundred and eight stars since I can cough up only half of them using everyone ever mentioned in the Nanoha series.

Oh, and there's no new references for this chapter other than the Tenkai star. That is just the star that leads the hundred and eight during the crisis and is usually taken up by the protagonist of the Suikoden series.

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Omake 3: Ignored

(A couple Section 6 personnel sitting by a bonfire, their faces shrouded in shadows)

E: It's been a while… do you think they forgot about us?

C: Maybe. Want a marshmallow dear?

E: Oww… that's a bit hot.

L: Hey, don't hurt my darling you!

C: I'm not! And watch who you're calling darling!

(The two girls get into a catfight.)

E: I think they forgot about me too…


	8. Chapter 8

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 7: Breaking in

(Deep within the Infinity Library…)

_Grrrr…_

"There is no bleeding way I'm going to be the Tenkai Star! I'm supposed to be on vacation, remember!?"

My ghostly matron smiled back with that wry smile.

"My dear child, I haven't said anything yet."

"You knew this would happen, didn't you? You knew I would get sent to this time and space, and you knew that there would be a gathering of the stars here! You set me up!"

"That is not entirely true. I did not make you take a vacation, nor did I make Viki sneeze and mess up her teleportation, and there is certainly no way I could have predicted where you would end up, even if I am a seer."

"So it was just a matter of chance was it?" I grumbled.

_Again with that smile. She's leading me in circles again…_

"Come now, is this world really so bad? You can always take it as a change of location for your vacation. I'll bet a brand new world to explore would be less boring than a world you already know for the past two centuries or so."

_She's got a point. Darn. I'm being swayed already. _Lacking anything better to say, I gave a huge sigh in surrender.

"Putting that aside, what is it with this gathering of the stars? Anything you can tell me to make my life easier?" I crossed my fingers for a positive response.

"You will know what you need to know in due time. But I guess I did get you into this mess, so I will tell you this. The decisive battle will take place in less than three years from your current time."

_That wasn't much, but I suppose it's better than nothing. Am I forgetting something… oh ya…_

"But I still refuse to be the Tenkai star."

"Why are you so adamant about not being the Tenkai star?"

_Thinking back of the first time I was made the Tenkai star, my experiences throughout my two centuries and the things I had done within them…_

"We both know that I am no longer fit for that role any more."

Silence. For a moment, Matron actually looked a little sad.

"That point is still debatable… In any case, it is still far too early to reveal the stars of destiny at this point of time. All I ask of you is to live as you would on this world and take what you think is appropriate course of action."

"Would I be able to come back?"

"… Yes. No matter what happens."

"Fine then." I turned towards the door, feeling an urge to get some fresh air.

"Oh, one more thing Matron." I muttered before leaving.

"What is it my child?"

"It's good to see you again."

And the door closed.

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As the door clicked shut, the fading visage in the room brought a hand to her brow as her calm façade faltered briefly.

"My poor, poor child. Such a cruel fate awaits… I can only pray that the stars will be merciful this time as well."

And with that, the light faded as well.

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(That evening, the combatant members of Mobile Section 6 gathered in the meeting room as Colonel Hayate began briefing the Forward on the results of today's meeting. I sat in not really paying attention since I already know roughly what they will be saying.)

"That's the gist of it. Lady Carim's prediction will most likely come true again some time in the future, and so we of Mobile Section 6 will have to prepare for an extremely dangerous battle to come as well. And that means that training sessions will be intensified, amidst other things. I hope you guys are up to it."

"No problem madam. We were just talking about stepping up our training a few days ago. More strength will always come in handy later on." quipped Erio-san.

"On another note, due to the gravity of the situation, in addition to the Wolkenritter unit directly under me, our unit will be steadily expanding with the possibility of another two Forward squads set up in order to deal with the increasing number of threats and response requests. As such, I'm afraid I'll need Nanoha and Fate to train the two new squads that will be formed later on."

A generic "What?" filled the room while the three commanding officers winced.

"That won't do Hayate-sama." said Caro-san. "Who will be training us then?"

"Well," Nanoha-san cleared her throat before looking in my direction.

_Not good._

I noticed Fate-san and the Colonel looking at me too. I swallowed a bit.

_Okay. Now THAT I did not see coming._

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(The next day, on the training field…)

"I can't believe this… how am I supposed to lead you in training today? I'm still totally new to this system of magic." I shook my head as I paced back and forth.

"Don't worry too much about it." said Erio-san who had just brought out his Strada.

"You can just teach us some of your combat skills. After all, you did take me out pretty good without even using magic the other day."

"That's right," added Vivio-san. "If we can get even a third as good as you were the other day, I'm sure our magic boosted abilities will power up considerably as well."

Lutecia-san patted my shoulder too. "You don't have to worry too much about me too. You can just set me up on some marksmanship training on how to make deflecting my shots harder for my target."

"As for your own magic, I can give you a few pointers, since I'm not actually combat orientated. Agito can help too. I'm sure between the two of us, we can help you get used to the magic system quickly." Caro-san offered, while the red-haired sprite nodded in agreement.

"You guys are the best. All right, let's start with the foundations of combat for Vivio-san and Erio-san." I said in appreciation as I released Yukishiro to its proper form. "Let's see if this works out after all."

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I spent a while adapting the Phoenix School of fencing into lance-play before explaining its proper foundations of defense to the two lance users. It took me a while to break down basics so that they could understand more readily. To assist in their explanation, I borrowed Vivio-san's V-lancer and squared off against Erio-san in practice.

"I've adapted this style of defence from the Phoenix school of fencing which is a very advanced form of fencing, so please be prepared for its difficulty. It involves controlling the entire radius within one's reach, hence creating an impenetrable shield around one's self. You can see why it's suitable for lances as well, since you get to enlarge your own defensive area based on your weapon alone. To do this, you cannot just rely on your eyes, but also on your foresight or experience, as well as every other sense available to you, including your sense of intuition. For instance, to capture the flow of an attack, you have to predict your opponent's movements using your experience…" I parried every one of Erio-san's continuous thrusts easily. "-such as so. The same applies to the philosophy of attack: never let your attack patterns become predictable."

"An example of making use of every sense at your command," I continued as I closed my eyes while gesturing for Erio-san to continue his assault. "is to use your ears to pick up audio clues of your opponents movement," Once again the blows were evaded, this time by simply moving my body out of his reach and attack region. "-and your sense of touch to pick up the minute air pressure changes from a particularly heavy attack." I finished as I managed to round Erio-san and tap him lightly on the head with my borrowed lance. "With regards to sight, what you have to pick up visual clues of their slight muscle movements as opposed to their full motion. This will help safeguard you against feints."

"The reverse of this is true for the philosophy of attack; that is to make your attacks hard to sense. But that's really a whole lesson in itself, and much harder to learn, so we'll stick to defensive skills and the few complementing offensive ones."

I could tell that it will take some time for all this information to sink in, so I let them take a little break before commencing practical application of the theories through sparring and meditation. Besides…, Erio-san looked really worn out…

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I looked at Lutecia-san who had been shooting at a bunch of rapid moving targets while I had been attending to the two lancers.

"Your marksmanship is quite good. The targets were moving at quite a rapid rate. However, if you want to make it difficult or someone to deflect your shots, there are several ways you can make their lives difficult. The most direct, but also the least inefficient is to increase the strength of each shot. Here, you're relying on the recoil from your blows to shake up their defence. The other is to shoot continuously at the same place. However, that too defeats the purpose. Thus, what I suggest is for you to dual wield your guns and focus multiple shots at one point before switching to another with the same method, thereby making your attacks less predictable and reinforced by each successive hit. Doing this is easy in normal motion. However, what you need to achieve is accuracy and a high rate of fire, and to do so in enhanced speed and eventually, while in motion. A Barrage of shots if you will."

The purple-haired Guard nodded and proceeded to try out my instructions.

_I hope it works. I've never even used guns before…If only I paid more attention to the Howling Voice when I was in that guy's service…_

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Heaving a sigh of relief, I made my way to where Caro-san and Agito-san were reading from a blue screen.

"Ah, you're here. About time!" chipped the little sprite.

"Sorry, I had to make sure the instructions were properly understood before I let them do their own training." I replied apologetically.

"It's alright. Let's start now. Do you know about how we channel the energy from our linker cores into the magical circuit that our devices generate in order to cast spells?" started Caro-san with a smile.

"I think I read about it on some of the books in the Infinity Library. But how do I ACTUALLY direct the energy from my linker core into my device?" I quizzed.

"Well… it's kind of a natural process for us… but I guess it is hard for someone who hasn't used our magic system before… Agito, how about you unison with him and help lead the energy from his linker core to his device so he can get a feel for it?"

"That's an idea. I'll get right to it." replied the minature redhead without hesistation.

"Thanks Agito-san." I braced myself for the impending intrusion.

Agito-san turned into a red glow and proceeded to enter my chest.

_This might take some getting used to…Having one sentience in one body is hard enough, two is barely tolerable… I draw the line at three._

"Lazlo, I'm going to draw a thread of energy to your device, so take note of the feeling." Agito-san's voice sounded in my head.

A moment later, I felt a certain flow passing through my chest towards Yukishiro on my right hand. I tried my best to memorize the sensation.

"Whoa. Are you sure you're only A+ class?" the voice in my head exclaimed excitedly.

"That's what I was told." I answered evasively.

Soon, the connection was made and the shiny orb in the center of Yukishiro's hilt guard glowed red.

"Right," began Caro-san. "Now select the magic circuit you wish to power up and direct that energy though it."

I briefly flipped through the mental images of the circuits I had stored away in my mind from the previous day and selected one that converts and compresses the input energy into a high-density version of itself which is let loose at the moment of slashing.

_This looks pretty simple and direct._

A couple of words appeared on the red orb and Yukishiro's voice sounded out.

"Halo Blade"

The resulting flash of bluish white light came out with much higher force than I had anticipated and left me reeling for a moment, but I soon recovered. Looking across at where the flash of light went, I was surprised to find a deep crack had appeared on the ground and a quite a few trees torn into halves.

"I think I overdid it a little."

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"What did you do?" stammered a shaken Caro-san.

"Erm… I don't really know. All I did was to load a mental image of the magic circuit I thought was relatively simple into Yukishiro." I replied, unsure of myself.

"You loaded a mental image directly into your device? I thought we're supposed to store the magical circuits we wanted to use in the device to begin with?" continued an astonished Caro-san.

"We can do that? I didn't know that. I spent the whole afternoon cramming magical circuits over by Yunno-san's library. He had some really interesting books."

_I wish someone would tell me these things before I did them._

"But you can load a mental image directly into your device?" repeated the pink-haired summoner. "Was that your doing Agito?"

"No! I only loaded the energy into the device. It seems like he has a telepathic link with Yukishiro to begin with!"

"No way!"

"And his magical energy is amazing. It's like its pure and untouched before this, but I can't see the end of it."

"No way!"

"And he hasn't even begun to load in any cartridges yet!"

"No way!"

I stood there as the pink-haired girl spoke animatedly with myself, who hadn't spoke a word for a while.

_This scene must look pretty funny right now. But that attack wasn't too bad right. My Eternal Ordeal can do much better than that though. But my magical capacity seems to be uncommonly large by their standards… well, suppose one could expand one's magical capacity through training, and I have been using magic for the better of two centuries… that would mean… I think I better check with Yunno-san. And what was that about cartridges?_

Before long, a trio of incredulous faces walked before us.

"Hey, what did you guys do?"

Caro-san could only heave a heavy sigh.

"Life is so unfair."

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That day at dinner, I was rounded up by the two captains who had been told that I had caused a disturbance during a training incident by the base security. Apparently, some of the guards were still a bit sore about their beating the other time and were using the irregularities their scanners picked up as an issue. Interestingly enough, after sitting through their brief talking to, they walked away with a strange satisfied smile on their faces.

"Are they glad they had a chance to chew me out or something?" I wondered softly.

Vivio-san appeared behind me out of nowhere and surprised me with her answer.

"Of course not. They're just proud that your first test-fire was such a resounding success for it to be heard all the way from the guardroom. I think you'll be teaching us magic sooner rather than later if you carry on at this rate."

I sighed.

_Great. Wasn't I supposed to stay inconspicuous?_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

After dinner, I made my way to the lounge area where I proceeded to ponder on my previous thoughts on the prophecy, the actual application of MidChilda-Belka magic system and what variations would be possible. I appeared to have been too deep in thought as I didn't even hear Vivio-san approach.

_The Sword and the Shield… how much power will be necessary to reproduce such a conflict… If that's the case, then my Rune of Punishment may not be sufficient to stop the onset of the calamity. I need to think of ways to gain greater power. Hmmph. Strange, I never felt myself lacking in power before… maybe I've been spoilt from bearing a True Rune for so long. And since bearing two True Runes is technically suicidal, there goes that option… perhaps I can figure out something with this new magic system… _

"Erm… Lazlo-san?" a soft voice broke my self-absorbed trance.

"Huh? Oh, Vivio-san. What is it? Is there a problem?" I replied, wondering how she's managing to sneak up on me.

"Well, it's about the Phoenix style defence you were teaching us earlier. Do you mind if I clarify some doubts and points there I'm unsure of with you?" the young blonde continued.

"Not at all. In fact, I was looking for someone to discuss your magic systems too. Perhaps we can help each other."

Vivio-san nodded happily and gave me one of her winning smiles before plomping herself into the seat beside me.

_Well, this is turning out well. Not only am I learning about a new form of magic, but I have an enthusiastic apprentice too. _But I furrowed my brows when I recalled what Matron said the other time. _I have to prepare them properly and seriously before the three years are up. That is, I think, the right thing to do._

"Well then, shall we begin? We have a lot of work in front of us."

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Author's Notes:

This chapter isn't as plot heavy as the previous one, so it's rather fluffy I guess. Well, I thought I would start the levelling up process for the Nanoha Forwards slowly from the basics, since some ideas have to be developed in a step-by-step manner.

With regards to Lazlo's awesome magic debut, well, my rationale for it is that we've seen how much stronger Fate and Nanoha's powers have grown in less than a decade between As and Strikers. Now, multiply that by a factor of 20 and you can roughly gauge where I'm giving Lazlo that insane power from. Overpowered? Tell that to the Sword and Shield.

And the bit about bearing two True Runes? That's a self-made concept that will be elaborated in the later chapters. It's a suspense thing.

Extra brownie points for people who picked up a slight Bleach and Kenichi references and less so for the Shaman King reference. And now for some terms:

Phoenix Style: I mentioned in an earlier chapter how I was planning to bring in the Swallow, Falcon and Phoenix runes as schools of fencing. Well, this time it is the Phoenix rune. Judging from the progression of the three, one can guess that there is something "higher" about the Phoenix as compared to the other bird references used. So I was thinking that I attribute the Phoenix style with the traits of difficulty, reverence and overwhelming effectiveness. That said, I also represented the Swallow style with attributes of grace, elegance and evasion, so that fits too. As for the falcon, it'll probably be something like speed, power and technical efficiency. In order to portray the difficulty, I incorporated the principles of Seikyuken into the mix of things, making it complex but incredibly effective, in theory at least.

Barrage: One of the skills available in Suikoden V which enables hitting multiple targets with a bow during a normal attack. I'm adapting it to Lutecia as a shooting technique that entails rapid fire on focused points, while being able to switch positions just as easily to maintain unpredictablitly.

MidChilda-Belka system: Well, the series doesn't really give much explanation for it, other than the fact that Belka-types use cartridges to give their attacks more oomph. The concept I'm using is that the Mid Childa types draw energy from the linker cores into the devices which in turn chooses a magical circuit through which that energy is channelled into, forming the foundations for the spell. Belka-types simply boost that energy using the extra oomph of compressed magic. Spoiler: Of course, our Lazlo skips a few steps here and there and has some unfair advantages, but that's all fodder for a new system of his own creation later on really. More power is always good.

Later then.

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Omake 4: Be quiet

(In the lounge room where V and L are.)

E: Ah, there's L. I have some questions I want to ask him about the Phoenix Style…

(E finds his mouth covered by Lu while himself pulled back by C)

Lu and C: Be quiet. Don't go spoiling their moment you insensitive boy.

E: Huh? But I have questions! I can't let myself be beat up every episode there's training!

Lu: No means no. A girl's romance takes priority.

C: Let's take him away to the kitchen to stuff his face with something.

(The two girls nod and pull a struggling E away to the kitchens.)

(N and F enters the lounge)

N: Ah, there's L. I have some questions I want to ask him about that brilliant slash attack earlier.

(N finds herself stopped by F)

F: N dear, please leave them alone for today.

N: Huh? But I have questions? I can't let some new kid surpass me now can I?

F: Guess I'll have to stuff your face with something then.

(That said, F pulls N towards their bedroom…)


	9. Chapter 9

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 8: Flicker

_The evening passed pleasantly. I was pleased that Vivio-san had been taking my lessons so seriously. Her questions showed a depth of understanding that belied the uncommon potential I had first seen in those multi-coloured eyes. Even though it took longer than I had expected, the looks of awe and dawning comprehension, among her other expressions amused me to no end. Before long, night has already fallen._

"Thanks for the help Lazlo-san. It'll take a while for it to sink in completely, but I have a better idea on how the defensive theory works now." Vivio-san began before looking out of the window. "It's night time already? Sorry I took so long, guess I'm a little slow…"

"Not at all. The style is complex to begin with. Normal people take weeks or months before they are able to achieve your level of understanding. If anything, it's already unfair how you're already ahead of everyone else." I assured her before nodding with a wry smile. "I seem to recall myself taking at least two days before I can claim any understanding of it too."

Vivio-san giggled a little before her face settled into a more apprehensive expression.

"Hey, Lazlo-san. Do you want to try that right now?"

"That?"

"Yes, that. It will be your first time right?"

"Oh… I don't know. I thought such activities were disallowed at night, especially when we're in the vicinity of the base."

"Haha, don't worry too much about that. Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama do it all the time. As long as we don't get caught, everything will be fine."

_Darn, I need to work on my resistance to smiles. I can feel her pulling me in that direction already. I don't suppose a Mystic Ring will cut it._

"Fine then. Erm… I'll be in your care then."

"Hai hai."

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"So… all I have to do is to load one of these magic circuits into Yukishiro?" I asked, looking at the selection of patterns that Vivio-san had dug up from an unoccupied terminal nearby.

"Well, it's not as simple as that. As you can see, there are many types of flight circuits. For instance, Nanoha-mama uses Accel Fin, which creates magical wings on the feet, while Fate-mama uses a Levitation circuit which grants flight capabilities without attachments. All circuits have their own traits and thus relative advantages and disadvantages. For Accel Fin, the mage's speed in the air is enhanced at the cost of ease of maneuverability while Levitation is highly maneuverable but its speed is a factor of the mage's basic speed. Hence, Nanoha-mama compensates for being slower with Accel Fin while Fate-mama prefers maneuverability since she is plenty fast already."

I nodded and proceeded to commit the patterns to memory, wondering idly why I had missed these patterns while I was in the library earlier.

_I should really stop reading from advanced sections backwards…_

"Right. Let's get some practical airtime then." Vivio-san continued as she pulled me by my arm outside.

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(In the courtyard… )

I breathed in deeply before loading the Levitation circuit in Yukishiro. Bearing in mind what happened earlier during training, I directed a small parcel of energy as carefully as I could into my device, hoping to avoid an over-surge. Apparently, I have to redefine my idea of "small".

"What the… woah!?" I uttered in surprise.

I was lifted off the ground in a flash as though being blown upwards by a powerful updraft. I flailed my hands out trying to slow myself down and regain my balance but to no avail. Doing so only served to invert me into a horizontal position.

_This is harder than I thought._

That was when I felt a warm hand clasp around one of my own. I turned my head around and saw a familiar smile.

"Calm down. Mou… you really have an issue with self-control, you know that? Look, I'm holding on to you, so try to balance yourself against me." the young blonde grinned impudently at me.

I nodded and tried my best to will my body upright again, using Vivio's support as leverage. It took some doing, but at last I managed to stay on my feet… kind of.

"This is tough. I can't remember the last time I felt this much like an apprentice."

"Haha. You have it easy you know. Most mages do not have enough energy to sustain flight capabilities for very long since we have to maintain a steady flow of energy to our devices, so only the very accomplished ones can fly at will. You on the other hand have too much energy. So be glad."

_Again with that smile. She must really be enjoying this role reversal thing._

"I see. I'll bear that in mind then. In any case, what should we do now?"

"Now, we'll get you used to the sensation of flying in specific directions. We'll start slow, so I'll pull you in one direction and you can try to get a feel of it."

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks again Vivio-san."

I felt her hold tighten and my arm pulled closer towards her.

"Don't mention it."

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(Meanwhile, in the Captains' room… )

"Fate?"

"Yes muffin?" replied a certain blonde enforcer who was looking out of the window.

"Have you already decided on whom to include in your Forward 2?"

"Yes dear. Actually it was a recommendation from Lutecia, but I agreed with her suggestion."

A loud groan rang out.

"Why didn't Lutecia come to me with her suggestion? I wouldn't have to go through those piles of transfer applications if she did!"

A sly smile appeared.

"And so you would rather have me buried in papers, honey?"

"No, I don't mean that… it's just that I hate paperwork. You know that."

"Try not to think of it after work then, sweetheart. Let's talk about something else. Like… what do you think about Lazlo?"

A slight contemplative pause ensued.

"Hmm… an incredible fighter, a wildly talented mage, a boy wise beyond his years with a good sense of honour and responsibility… what do you think, Fate?"

"So you don't think too badly of him, darling?"

"Goodness, no… should I? Am I being too trusting again? Well, it's just that I can't feel any bad intent coming from him, and his eyes looked just like yours from when we first met…"

"Of course not, cupcake. That's the part of you that I fell in love with all the way back. And yes, I agree. He does seem like a fine young man."

A slightly muffled sound can be heard coming from outside the window.

"Fate, did you hear something just now?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, sugar." replied one mischievous-looking enforcer as she lowered the auto-blinds on the windows. "Just a couple of lovebirds, that's all."

"Birds? At this hour?"

"Yes. And speaking of the hour, it's time for bed kitten..." purred the blonde as she slinked her way to the queen sized bed with a feline expression. "Time to play."

"Fate…? Ah!" gasped a certain brunette.

Another winning smile.

_You owe me big time, Vivio._

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After an hour or so of being pulled in all sorts of directions, I was finally able to move slowly in mid-air. While the process was hard to get a handle on, the view from above and the cool wind blowing against my face felt strangely… exhilarating. It was then that I realized that I had been paying too much attention to the instruction and not enjoying the fact that I had the freedom of the sky. It became easier for me to control my movements after that realization and a smile, one that I had thought lost to the years, began to creep into my face once more. It was then that I felt the already familiar weight on my hand close further, prompting me to look in that direction.

"It's the first time I've ever seen you smile." a soft voice began.

"Really? Have I been frowning all this while?"

"No. I mean it's the first time I've seen you smile a happy smile, not that sad or goofy one."

I blinked for a moment, before deciding she was right.

"Yes, I do think you're right. I guess I have you to thank for it, Vivio-san"

Her face was tinged with a hint of blush but her eyes continued to sparkle with renewed light.

"Is that all? You should show your gratitude through your actions if you're really a gentleman like you appear." she replied, turning her nose up in a mockingly proud fashion.

I laughed at that. It felt good to laugh solely because I had a reason to. I decided to drop my mask a little, just for today… "Then what quest would you have of me, milady?"

"Namae yon de."

"Excuse me?"

"Say my name."

"Eh? But I already do."

"No. Say my name. Without the –san behind it."

For some reason, her face reddened considerably. If it weren't night-time, I would have thought she had sunstroke or something.

"Alright then." I pulled my hand out of hers gently before extending it back in the courtly greeting that I was accustomed to. _Two can play at this game._

"It's a pleasure to make your… re-acquaintance, Vivio…"

"Likewise Lazlo." she replied softly, looking at me shyly with those miscolored eyes.

Just like that, it felt like we had truly met for the first time this time. But something in this smile and hand was different from that of the other day. An oddly fulfilling warmth. I felt something foreign stir within, startling me for a moment. But it was fleeting and soon passed before I could make head or tail of it. After a moment, it finally dawned upon me.

_No way… Somehow I don't think it's a game anymore._

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Author's Notes:

Fluff. Pure and simple. A short piece today for the sake of character development. I apologise if it's not really that romantic, but I'm kinda as bad at it as Lazlo here. Well, it's only a start, so don't expect it to fly off from here. The status quo will still be the same for a few more chapters, just with that added undercurrent of understanding. The baggage of a long life, his otherworldliness and a few other complications will have to be resolved before things will be smooth-sailing, but there will be opportunities for that through the accumulation of time and understanding in the future.

As for the homophobic people out there, don't even bother flaming me. I think you guys are crap. There, I said it.

Brownie points for those spotting parallels with a certain scene in the first series. That's all for now. Later.

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Omake 5: Check Mate

(A chamber in Magician's Isle, where Z and L are playing chess suspended in mid-air, using translucent, ethereal looking pieces atop a pool of water showing what just happened.)

Z: Hmmph. Trust that foolish boy to fall in love with that foolish human.

(Z moves a piece on the board.)

L: Does it really bother you that much what moves my boy makes?

(L moves a piece on the board.)

Z: Not really… it will just be really annoying if that boy fails to bring the stars together because he's distracted by some mortal girl.

(Z moves another piece on the board.)

L: Ara. So it's alright for you if it's a certain immortal girl instead?

(L moves another piece on the board too.)

Z: Wha… what foolish talk are you babbling about?

(Z moves a piece far too quickly.)

L: Ara. I'm just asking if it's not a problem if my boy makes a move on an immortal girl then. After all, we have Viki, Jeane…

(L knocks one of Z's pieces off.)

Z: …

(Z moves another piece far too quickly.)

L: … that Chris girl from Zexen, that other Milia girl from Toran…

(L captures another piece.)

Z: …

(Z moves another piece far too quickly.)

L: … and of course a certain someone else from here.

(L takes down another of Z's pieces.)

Z: Wha… what foolish talk is this? Quit babbling inane nonsense and concentrate on the game.

(Z reaches for a piece before freezing.)

L: Ara. One should always speak for herself before advising others. By the way, checkmate.

(L chuckles slightly at Z's expression. She doesn't need to see it to know it's hilarious.)

L: So as for the terms we agreed on before the commencement of the game…

Z: I know, I know! Unlike someone else, I'm a gir… woman of my word.

L: You wound me Z. When have I ever lied about anything?

(Z grumbles as she slumps a little…)

Z: I still say it's cheating…

(L straightens herself and floats slowly to the floor.)

L: Ara, you sound just like that Roy boy you met some time back. If you would excuse me, I have important things to see to. I suggest that you prepare for that long trip you promised while you're at it.

(L leaves the room.)

Z: That woman is evil…

(L's voice rang out in Z's head, causing her to wince slightly.)

L: I heard that.


	10. Chapter 10

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 9: Unrestricted

I flipped around for the umpteenth time under the covers. Someone was definitely keeping me up tonight.

_I still can't believe it… do I really…?_

I thought back to what happened earlier. The abruptness of the revelation caught me off guard, but the hand felt so warm and comforting that letting go not once crossed my mind. Without thought, words or even looking at each other, we just stayed there, suspended in mid-air, enjoying the view, the cold air but mostly, the moment we had. However, as the saying goes, what goes up must come down eventually, so to speak, and eventually we lowered ourselves to the ground. Not a single word was said other than the eventual farewell, but hands remained joined until the last moment.

_Matron sure got me in a mess this time. Well, she'll argue that it was all me, or that it was a matter of chance, but still… how long has it been, a century? _

My brows knitted into a frown again.

_An immortal and a mortal girl. That's a recipe for tragedy if ever there was one. Humans did have that nasty habit of getting old and dying after all. If I did love her, our bliss will only last for a moment before I would have to watch her grow old, weak and die out. The only outcome from this is loss… and an eternity of it in my case… Something I really don't need right now, or ever. Maybe if I didn't really love her, it would be more fun and easier… _

Vivio's shy smile came to mind.

_No… that's just being my self from the past century again… I can't do that… not to her…Darn. I really got it bad this time. And nothing's even begun yet. Haiz…_

Needless to say, I didn't get too much sleep that night.

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After several hours of thinking and not sleeping, I was perfectly happy to wake up before the slated time and spent the rest of the time working on the terminals, consuming magic circuit patterns and assimilating to this world's technology at an alarming rate. I can already tell that the distraction wouldn't last long anymore, since the difficulty of doing all this at once seems to be diminishing faster than I had hoped.

_Darn. Why can't I be stupid like those Narcissists… wait… I'm actually wishing I was one of the Narcissists?_

Letting out an uncharacteristic growl, I smacked myself rather hard on the head and shivered.

_Note to self: DO NOT EVER THINK THAT EVER AGAIN! That was plenty stupid already._

There was still three hours to daybreak… The day has apparently become long, long before it had properly begun it seems.

_I need a new hobby or something. Well, since there's a lack of anything better to do, I might as well review the magic circuits and reconcile it with my own knowledge of the Sindar. It seems sufficiently difficult to keep my mind off things…_

Nodding to no one else in particular, I began breaking down individual circuits down by categorizing various similarities in patterns by their functions. Considering the number of circuits I had memorized and the ones available on the terminal, this took up a good half of my mind, as well as an hour or two.

_Hmm… it seems possible to isolate and categorize small specific sections of a circuit by their similar abilities or attributes. But if that's the case, then in theory, some of the spells should also bear greater similarity to each other, yet the fact remains that there are also specific differences in terms of power, scale and duration, while there are also cases where a wholly new or different effect is achieved… Intriguing…this would mean that merely piecing a circuit together from a mishmash of attributes will not be enough for the spell to work…since there is clearly something else that determines the cohesion and hence overall effects of the spell…_

A random thought came to mind.

_The 108 stars of destiny… the stars are said to have the power to resolve catastrophes merely by getting into their appropriate positions, together with the combination and resonance of their collective fates… if that's the case, then perhaps the position and compatibility of certain isolated attributes would have to be considered as well. That said, I should be able to identify certain compatible attributes by comparing the circuits to see which ones already show such a relationship… More work. A good thing._

More time passed. The sounds of stirring can already be heard by my experienced ear. It wouldn't be long now… but I did finish the task at hand within my mind.

_Alright, _I mentally sifted through this new sub-categorization that I made. _let's try reconstructing a simple spell then. If my reasoning is correct, than I should be able to reconstruct, say, the Levitation circuit without even trying to remember it…_

I opened a blank blue monitor and began to construct the spell manually. I managed to get the most of the pattern down, but there were still slight variations and gaps yet to be filled. I growled a little, starting to feel a little irritated at being so close, yet so far.

_Back to the proverbial drawing board. _

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(Two sets of footsteps sounded down the hall heading towards the common room.)

"Lazlo! Wow, you wake up really early don't you?" Caro-san greeted.

"Sort of." I replied. _Fact was I couldn't sleep at all… not that immortals really needed sleep as opposed to it being a luxury to begin with…_

"What are you working on so early then?" quipped Lutecia-san, poking her purple head towards the terminal I had been working on.

"Just some theories on magic that I came up with. Thought I should at least make some effort on it before I can begin to teach you guys properly. I still feel really bad about making Caro-san help me train yesterday instead of the other way round."

"Caro, come look at this!" the purple-haired guard exclaimed.

"What? What is it Lutecia?" replied the pinkhead.

Generic "woah"-ing and jaw dropping followed.

"Wow. Lazlo, you came up with all this just this morning?" asked Luteica excitedly.

"Yes actually." I replied, slightly surprised that they could understand my work since I had used headings and categories in my own tongue.

"Well, I don't really get the words on the screen, but it looks slightly like that research paper that independent Institute of Research and Magecraft released the other day. Something about the Unified Theory of Magic, one that is supposed to collapse all spells together under one singular theory. Except the reconstructed circuit they used in their experiment is nowhere as complete as yours!" Carol-san explained.

I rubbed my chin in thought. "Intriguing… Did they manage to get it to work?"

"Oh no. I think they concluded that there are certain other areas that have to be worked out, to literally fill in the gaps. There's actually pretty much skepticism on whether it will work to begin with, since they have been at it for decades without success."

"Hmm…" was all I could come up with as I took stock of this new development.

_Well, at least I know that I'm on the right track now… I'm sure I'll get it sooner rather than later. You never know where and when inspiration will hit you._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

As the two girls engaged in slight chatter, I picked up another four sets of footsteps converging on the entrance to the commons. Before long, two Captains came into view, together with Erio-san and… Vivio…

"Morning. Hey, what happened to you three? You guys look like you didn't get much sleep done last night!" wondered Erio-san aloud at the weary looks of the other three.

What happened next was almost too funny. The two captains and their girl promptly straightened up, turned red before waving their hands in defence and saying it's nothing like that. You could really tell they're a family like that. I couldn't resist the urge to smile, lifting the ends of my mouth upwards. Surprisingly, the earlier unease and apprehension faded away as well.

_I'm over-thinking things again. This is not supposed to be a bad thing after all._

After the morning greetings with the rest of the forward, I managed to meet Vivio for the first time this morning. I simply dropped my mask and smiled at her, and she nodded softly in acknowledgment and smiled back brilliantly at me. Again, no words for now.

"Is there something going on between the two of them?" whispered Erio-san to Caro-san's ear, earning a hushed shush and a light slap on his arm.

"It's none of our business. Leave the gossip to us girls okay?" explained the pink Fullback smugly.

That said, the group of us made our way towards breakfast. Well, one was more dragged than anything.

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Breakfast was a quick affair. Fate-san made an announcement that the Wolkenritter would be sharing the training field with us today, as well as a surprise later in the afternoon. That set off the two older girls into a slight speculation frenzy. Erio simply rubbed his hands in anticipation. Seeing the chance, I made a request of the two captains.

"If I may, Nanoha-san, Fate-san, would I be able to request a stronger barrier on the training ground? I think I might have a tendency to overdo things after all."

"That's already settled. I made the necessary arrangements after your little incident yesterday. So don't worry too much about it and just let yourself go." assured the brunette captain with anticipation shining in her eyes.

I decided to push it a little.

"Erm… one more thing. Can I request for a Hi-DEC2 while I'm at it then?" This time eyebrows were raised.

"What's Hi-DEC2?" quizzed Erio-san.

"Hi-DEC2 is short for High Density Energy Containment Cell. They used to use it to test fire high intensity weapons like the Arc-En-Ciel." Explained Caro-san nonchantly.

"Do you really think that is necessary Lazlo-san?"

I thought for a moment.

"Probably."

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We met the Wolkenritter shortly after breakfast on the training field. It was the first time I had ever seen them, but I could tell they were pretty established mages in their own right. Before I knew it, we were being paired off with the unfamiliar faces. As Erio-san explained then, "The vice-captains and Zafira-san, Shamal-san are always off doing individual assignments while Rein-san is always with Hayate-sama when they're not called on as a unit, so it's a rare chance for us to get to spar against them. Don't worry, it'll be fun." And so… here I am.

"Your swordsmanship is quite exquisite. Where did pick it up from?" asked the pink-haired swordswomen between parries.

"Experience." I replied, drawing sparks from the contact between our blades. "It's of my own creation over the years."

"Quite an achievement for someone so young. You've piqued my interest." She pulled back slightly before unleashing a flurry of slashes.

"You're not half bad yourself milady knight." I returned the compliment as I countered with well placed thrusts that not only deflected the horizontal attacks, but also forced her to guard with her own. The two of us leapt apart after that as we continued to assess each other.

"Now then," spoke Vice-captain Signum, as her blade ejected two pellets. "Let's just say we've done our warm up."

_Just like Erio-san the last time. She's going to start using magic now. Great._

The speed and power of her attacks increased considerably after that and I felt myself get stretched over the duel for the first time in a long while. But I didn't disappoint either, since I could still hold my own comfortably. However, Signum-san seemed a little upset.

"Are you mocking me boy?"

I realized she took my not using of magic as a slight of her abilities. _An honourable woman, as expected of a follower of the sword._

"Not at all. The fact is I'm still relatively new to magic, so I'm not confident of my control or execution. I do apologize if you took it personally."

"Well, you'll excuse me if I don't hold back myself."

"I wouldn't dream of it. A worthy opponent is rare and few in between."

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The duel became gradually more heated as time progressed. Signum-san managed to back me into a corner at one point, before I countered back using the few spells that I had some confidence in.

"Halo Blade." Yukishiro's voice called out, and several flashes of blue light streaked towards the pink swordswomen.

The Vice-Captain in turn unleashed several energy flashes of her own in counter, before having to evade the last one by taking to the skies. It seems like I had the advantage in sheer power of my blasts as expected. But now…

_Great…_

I followed suit in order to honor our engagement, but while our differences were finer on the ground, it became significantly pronounced in the air. Her speed far outstripped mine and I was forced on the defensive. Realizing her advantage as any good knight would, she took the chance to charge up a particularly powerful attack confident that I could not possibly reach her in time or evade it completely.

_This might hurt… _

Unconsciously, my eye was drawn towards a shortish blonde in another battle nearby. Vivio was doing away with the particularly heavy attacks of an even shorter girl in red with deceptive ease, causing the other to growl repeatedly.

_She's improved so much so quickly. The opponent hadn't realized that she was caught in Vivio's defensive zone and is just relying on her impressive power. Well, you can't break down Phoenix with strength alone… wait, why am I drawn to her again even in this most inappropriate situation!_

I returned my attentions to the swordswoman before the Belka circuit under her caught my eye.

_Part of the circuit revolves and moves almost like a fluid… it's almost like a flowing stream of words… Wait… a stream of words… if the magic circuit works the same way as the words within a Sindar text, then perhaps the blanks in the circuits earlier were the meant for conjunctions and other grammar devices that are essential for proper comprehension even in normal language…_

I braced myself for impact by increasing the flow of energy into Yukishiro's auto-shield, not wanting to be interrupted in my thoughts right now.

_The revolution of words would then also serve as another sequence of resonance that could be used to create brand new effects using the proper sequence of attributes. If I am correct, I should be able to create my own spell in theory… so…_

I began drawing a new flight circuit of my own original design within my mind, hoping to even the odds. Meanwhile two words rang out from the Vice-Captain's direction.

"Storm Falcon!"

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I thought that would hurt. Big understatement. It seems like I had misunderstood the mechanism of Yukishiro's auto-shield. While increasing the flow of energy to it has increased its effect, hence reducing the damage from the attack, the following residual damage is directed straight into the mage instead of being refracted like what an ordinary shield could do even if it is broken. The jolt from that attack knocked me out of the sky due to my already bad aerial control and I was falling towards the ground at an alarming velocity. I figured this was as good a time as any to try the new circuit.

_Yukishiro, load new magical circuit. I'll name it… HiMAT._

A digital voice rang out. "HiMAT system accepted. Commencing, 3, 2, 1."

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I felt energy surging outwards and surrounding my body before everything in front of me was enveloped in a bluish white light. My velocity slowed down almost immediately before I felt myself rising upwards. Still blinded by bluish white, I asked Yukishiro what happened.

"HiMAT phase one, my sovereign. Default mode. Shall we proceed to phase two my sovereign?"

_Why not? _"Do it."

"HiMAT phase two."

This time the blue and white before me split open slightly as I felt slight sensations on my back. The sky and earth came back into view before I identified the difference from the earlier Levitation circuit. I had wings. Wings of bluish white light. All eight pairs of it, closed behind me to form a deceptively large singular pair. More importantly, I felt much better control, as though I was finally one with the skies.

"What the heck was that?" remarked the startled swordswomen.

"Something of my own creation once again." I said with a wry smile. "But more importantly, you should brace yourself."

I tested the sensation of each new wing within the singular main wings, creating a rippling effect down my wings. It seems like that I could increase my speed and maneuverability whenever i added additional emphasis from the component wings even without unfolding them individually.

"After all, I've been told I have problems holding myself back."

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The battle was over soon afterwards. The HiMAT flight system more than evened out the differences beforehand; the level of speed and maneuverability surpassed even my wildest expectations as almost every movement I made became blindingly fast and resembled more like aerial acrobatics more than normal flight. As I raced to catch a certain freefalling pink swordswoman, I couldn't help but agree with what Caro-san had said previously.

_I do feel like I'm cheating somewhat._

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As we approached the ground, I realized that everyone else had stopped their duels and were following my own. There was really only one question. It didn't matter who got to ask it.

"What did you do this time?"

I scratched my head modestly. "I came up with my own magic circuit. I thought it might work, so I combined Hayate-sama's, Nanoha-san's and Fate-san's flight circuits together and I guess it worked. Lucky me eh?" I explained evasively.

_I shouldn't reveal too much. Such power can be dangerous…_

"Cool! It's just like that Unified Theory we were talking about earlier. Do you think you can create other spells like that?" chipped in Caro-san.

"Maybe. But I would much rather keep this under wraps for now, until I work out the kinks in it. An original spell like the HiMAT took way too much energy to sustain, even for a flight system. I'll teach it to you guys once I made it somewhat safer somehow."

"What does HiMAT stand for?" asked Vivio.

"High Manoeuvre Aerial Tactics. It's to more to compensate for my own lack of talent and training in flying really." She gave me a knowing nod.

"What do you wish to call your new system of magic then? It seems fitting that you name it since you did create it after all." remarked Signum-san.

I pondered for a moment. "The Unrestricted System. Might as well, since I'm breaking a lot of rules of magic at the moment."

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(As we stopped for the sake of lunch, I managed to pull Vivio aside for a brief moment.)

"Hey." I began a bit nervously.

"Hmm?" the reply came just as tentatively.

"About us… "

"I think things should remain as it is for the moment." She cut in suddenly.

"Oya?"

"I mean, I think we don't have to rush things… I mean, it's not like I don't… I mean, I would like to get to know you better in time, and hope that you will get to know me better too… I mean… I'm still only just fourteen so we can take our time… I mean…" She flustered for a bit. I patted her head fondly before leaning in closer.

"It's fine. I have to work out some things of my own too. I would really like for this to work out somehow, more than you might come to expect, so taking it slow is perfectly fine. And besides, you don't have to worry about time."

"Oh? Why is that?

A smile of mixed sentiments tugged at the corners.

"I have all eternity if need be."

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Author's Notes:

Another rather technical entry. This might continue for a while, seeing that we need to build up Lazlo's power quite carefully before the climatic battles can take place. With regards to the HiMAT system, kudos to those who realised the Gundam reference. I've intended the wings to look somewhat like those of Freedom's or Destiny's, since they do look rather dramatic. There's also some resemblance to Hayate's black wings on her barrier jacket. So theoretically, its also kinda possible.

The Unrestricted System is really a justification for combining spells into more powerful versions of themselves, so please don't lose too much brain cells over them. I've include the Unified Theory and my idea of Sindar-Circuit link just to make it more coherent.

Other references necessary should be the narcissists. They are probably, the most useless, self-absorbed, foppishly dressed, non-contributive members of the Stars of Destiny ever. Idiots really, so I won't bother defiling my story with their names.

As a preview of things to come, the next chapter will include introducing who the second Forward team consists, a little passage of time and leveling up of the other forwards and the beginnings of the first climatic battle.

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Omake 6: Idiots, enough said!

(Three narcissists were speaking to each other and N3 sneezes.)

N1: By the gods, what a uniquely exquisite burst of air, so artfully done and skilfully executed. Artistry at its pinnacle!

N2: That's right! A sight the gods would indeed by proud of as though of their own work. Perhaps it's a sign that our perfection is finally reaching the same godly standards of beauty that we aspire to be.

N3: I do believe you guys are right. Come on, we have to share our god-given, god-equal beauty and artistry with the other poor common wretches out there. No greater quest could there be if ever there was one.

(The three goes around sneezing on people.)

(L looks from on top.)

L: Idiots.


	11. Chapter 11

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 10: First Blood

_Lunch wasn't too bad. Not that I ate much though. I was too busy watching my fill of Vivio and her vivid blushes. I really liked her, I realised. But preparing them for the eventuality of the calamity takes precedence. Perhaps afterwards. Perhaps after she knows all there is to know about me. Perhaps after she knows all that I have done throughout the years. Perhaps she will still have me. That well-trained weight in my heart threatened to flatten all these thoughts as trivia and irrelevant, but I resisted. Perhaps it's human nature to protect what hope there is for the future. Or perhaps it's human nature to protect your source of happiness. As I watched my Vivio, I realised something else. Perhaps she just makes me human again, that's all…_

Noisy footsteps filled the air along with cheerful chatter as a new group of people entered the training field. Leading the pack was our blonde captain.

"Alright guys, I would like you to meet the new members of Section 6 under the second Forwards team. I think you might know some, if not all of them." she started.

"Cinque! Sein! Minah! You guys really made it!" exclaimed an elated Lutecia-san as she ran to hug some of the new members.

"Ya! What a surprise! I didn't hear anything about you guys joining us!" exclaimed an equally excited Agito-san.

"Haha. We didn't expect it when Fate-san showed up too. She's offering us the same probation scheme as Lutecia here and so we accepted." explained who I presumed was Cinque-san, a young girl with an eyepatch over her right eye. My stomached churned a little upon the similarities with another…

"It was Lutecia's idea. Thank her, not me." Fate-san said with a smile.

"It's good to see you guys anyway!" said Lutecia-san grinning ear to ear.

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It was after Fate-san's introduction that I found out that the new Forward team was made up by some of the combat cyborgs from the Jail Scaglietti incident. There were eight of them in total, Cinque-san, Sein-san, Sette-san, Otto-san, Nove-san, Dieci-san, Wendi-san and Deed-san. It appears like the Forwards 2 will consist of two additional members compared to our team. I had some nagging suspicion that it was deliberate to avoid breaking up another "family", but not that I minded. We had very kind captains and that was a peculiarity that I liked. Team 2 isn't joining us for training just yet as Fate-san had brought them only to settle into their new dorms for now. Soon after they left, Nanoha-san made her appearance. She didn't have a third group of Forwards with her though. Instead, she brought back a couple of guys who carried a rather large package into the middle of the field.

"Hi guys. Sorry I took so long. I managed to weasel a HiDEC2 from Chrono-kun and the Navy. I hope its going to be useful though, for the sake all the arms that I had to break."

The Forwards looked at her suspiciously, wondering whether she meant it literally. One could never know when the other person just happened to be a rather trigger-happy lady with too much power on her hands, also known as the "White Devil" by most eye witness accounts.

"What is with your expressions? Come on, let's try it out. I'm itching to see how far Lazlo-san here can go."

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The HiDEC2 was set up at one corner of the field. The device works by generating first a high quality barrier over the general area, before forming a large box-like cell made up of super-high density energy barriers. The tester will be able to fire spell in one direction into box and, but the energy will be trapped within the cell and not allowed to escape in the other direction. The energy barriers will then siphon out the energy and dissipate it into the atmosphere as harmless photons, all the while measuring the energy output. I took a deep breath as I stepped into the firing area. Everyone else watching from outside the safety field was giving me a bit more pressure than I had liked.

_Let's take it slow. Fifty percent should do._

I charged roughly half of my linker core energy into my Halo Blade circuit and expelled it towards the cell. The bluish white light crashed into the cell and rebounded helplessly against its walls, creating multiple flashes of light before it disappeared… I let my breath out and began to look at the readings on a monitor, not knowing what to make of the numbers until Nanoha-san sent me a telepathic message.

"_Nice going! Was that your full power? I know your power isn't limited like ours, but you scored almost as high as a real Arc-En-Ciel!"_

I smiled. I figured I shouldn't say anything about me holding back just now. Once the cell has been reset, I got ready to test the Unrestricted version of Halo Blade that I had just designed during the wait. I lowered the input power to a mere ten percent, just to be sure. However, as usual, my control seems to be non-existent at lower levels and a significantly stronger flash of light shot into the cell before colliding violently against its barriers, ricocheting several times before slowing down.

_Woah! Was that true full power now? What's with that insane energy reading? That was almost the equivalent of 2.4 Arc-En-Ciels!_

I made a slight mental calculation.

_When I used the Belka type Halo Blade at fifty percent, I managed the score of one Arc-En-Ciel unit. So my full power with normal grids will be two Arc-En-Ciel units max. Later, when I shot the Unrestricted version at around thirty percent power, I think, I managed close to 2.4 Arc-En-Ciel units, so my full power at Unrestricted version should be around six Arc-En-Ciel units… That means that switching from Belka to Unrestricted version would amplify the spell by at least three times. I should keep that in mind. But more importantly… I messed up the low level input pretty spectacularly over there…_

"Nanoha-san, could you please help me with my control? I think it's high time I did something about it before I blow anyone away by accident again."

The other Forwards and the Wolkenritter Knights nodded emphatically. No doubt seeing someone having the same destructive potential of several warship-class magic cannons can be quite unnerving. Especially if his aim happened to be off.

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(Moments later, the sound of clashing and duels resumed on the training field, though interrupted intermittently by loud explosions, as though a cannon was being shot periodically.)

"Nanoha-mama, are you sure about this?" asked a concerned Vivio.

A loud explosion sounded out.

"Not really. I've only seen them do this in old Chinese movies, but don't go telling Lazlo-san that. It might work as long as he thinks it will." replied Nanoha-san with an crooked smile.

Another explosion sounded out.

"Mo… movies? What do you mean you have only seen it in movies?"

Yet another explosion.

"Shush, Vivio. Look, I think we're running out of candles. Why don't you make yourself useful and go get some more from the emergency supplies? That would help."

"Mama, you're not just getting him to blow things up are you?"

And another explosion…

"Of course not, sweetie. Now go get those candles okay?"

"Alright…" mumbles Vivio as she sets off.

The captain then turned towards the blonde young man snapping his fingers in training and a big grin lit up her face.

"That's right Lazlo-san. Try your best to light those candles with the simplest Spark spell. The goal for today will be to get those craters down to the smallest size possible."

The blonde young man nodded and carried on trying to light those candles with cannon-like bangs. The brunette sighed contently.

_It's like the next best thing to having my very own Arc-En-Ciel. Guess I can stop bothering those poor higher ups now. Yay!_

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And so the time passed… the Forwards' training have been progressing rather smoothly. Their individual combat skills have levelled up to the point whereby I felt they could hold their own against most enemies. As such, I began teaching them combination attacks so as to increase our combat ability as a unit, specifically the tactics necessary to take down a much stronger opponent with any given combination of members. I had to give my team credit. They almost managed to take me down once. Well, almost.

With regards to my own training, barring the fact that the HiMAT provided me with an easy way out with regards to aerial ability and that my combat skills haven't really dulled to the point that necessitated sharpening them again, the main concern was with my lack of control as usual. However, even that seems to have gotten better with time due to Nanoha-san's training regime, odd as it may have been. Even Vivio and Nanoha-san herself seemed genuinely surprised at my progress, before bursting into giggles every time I asked why. They never did tell me though.

As I was also supposed to be the magic trainer for the squad, I figured I teach them some of the safer Unrestricted spells that I had crafted over the months. Through my own research and experimentation, I came to the conclusion that Unrestricted spells derived from Mid Childa magic circuits were generally safer that their Belka counterparts. The reason was deceptively straightforward; the Mid Childa spells required very little magic energy to initiate while Belka spells required significantly higher base energy input. Therefore, when the Unrestricted versions triple energy requirements and output, the former allows the mage greater energy management concerning the desired inputs and outputs while the latter types will bleed a mage far too quickly, even with the possible compensation from the use of cartridges. Some of the spells that were popular among the Forwards were strengthened versions of previous spells, such as Divine Buster UE (Unrestricted Elective) and Sonic Move UE, as well as several of my original spells, the Gigan Barrier which gets progressively stronger with each attack that couldn't break it, and the Dispersion Shield which actively distorts and disperses energy attacks, fully negating those below its maximum capacity. Suffice to say, I was quite pleased with the overall progress of the squad.

Progress between Vivio and me seemed slow by comparison, but that is just fine by us. While we meet in training everyday, we kept things professional since we were technically still on the clock. Even so, we had taken to meeting in the lounge every evening just to be with each other for a little while. Little things like being able to lean unto each other were all that mattered. We didn't even talk much either, save for my occasional teasing so as to see my favorite blush. I'm incorrigible I know, but we really didn't need anything more than each other's presence at the moment. Eventually the other Forwards caught on, but they didn't tease as much I thought they would. Perhaps they were hoping to avoid being the one to shock a particularly dense, yet trigger-happy captain.

Days like these continued for a good six months. Surprisingly, there hadn't been a call for a response so far. Seems like all the evil villains and mad scientist wannabes were all lying low or something. Not that I was complaining about the peace and quiet, but actual missions would give us better operational experience. Nevertheless, I began having a bad feeling about things out of the blue one day. This felt too much like that proverbial calm before the storm. Something big was about to happen, and I was tired of being right. Why? Because a big red flashing monitor appeared before me.

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(Meanwhile, prior to the red flashing monitors, a sequence of events occurred on Terra Dionysus, a low-technology planet close to Earth by TSAB standards.)

"Captain, this is Recon Leader. We have located the site of the energy anomaly. Sending visuals now." accounted an unnamed aerial mage.

"What the…? A perfectly cylindrical column of cyclonic air currents in this atmospheric system? That can't be possible. How are the readings?" inquired an unnamed Captain.

"Negative. The sensors are being blocked by the swirling winds. We nearly lost one mage when he got too close to the air currents. The only reading getting through the winds is a moderate energy signature."

"Hmm… an energy signature than can penetrate a disruptive influence like that has to be pretty substantial… Communications! Relay the message that we have a possible Lost Logia to the Saint Church. Recon leader, please secure the site until backup arrives."

"Roger that. Securing perimeters…"

(The dying screams of several men interrupted the instruction.)

"What the… Captain, this is Recon Leader. We are under attack! I repeat! We are under attack!"

"An attack? Recon Leader, can you identify the enemy forces?"

"It's a single man in black armor. Please send reinforcements. Recon force down to four."

(Three more bloodcurdling screams rang out before a chilling voice was heard.)

"Corrections. None is left."

"Argh!!!"

"Scramble all mages! Prepare for battle!" barked the unnamed Captain.

"Captain, there is an extreme high energy signature gathering some distance off the planet!"

"What? Give me a visual of that!"

A monitor showing a black humanoid laminated with a growing mass of dark energy in one hand.

"What in the world is…"

Their world goes black.

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"That was disappointing. They didn't put up enough of a struggle. Well, at least their dying cries were pretty entertaining. Hahaha."

He looked around but frowned when he can see no other signs of life.

"I should've kept some alive for torture. This place needs the sounds of more life after all. Or death. Hahaha."

Realising a lack of anything else to do, he turned his head around to face the column of wind while a black rune glowed violently on his left hand.

"I know, I know. I'm on it. Besides, it's always nice to see an old friend."

He flew and charged into the wind barrier before being repelled. Snarling, he pointed his black rune forward and the wind barrier began to dent before its power.

"Now, now. Open wide."

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Within the meeting room of the Claudia, the members of Forward 1 was being briefed by Nanoha-san,

"The Saint Church received a message relayed from the patrol ship Leah off the planet Terra Dionysus with regards to a suspected Lost Logia some two hours ago. Since then, all communications attempt with the ship had come to naught, the ship is feared lost. Hence, upon arrival on the planet, you forwards will be split into two forces. The first will investigate what happened to the Leah, while the other will investigate the planet for traces of the Lost Logia and recover it. I will remain on the Claudia and assume overall command for the mission. Is everything understood?"

The other Forwards straightened and saluted in agreement. "Hai." I quickly followed suit.

_When it comes down to it, I guess these guys can still be pretty professional soldiers. I'm impressed._

"Prepare yourselves for now. You will move out immediately upon arrival. Dismissed."

After the other forwards dispersed to do their own preparations, I went up to Nanoha-san for more information.

"Madam Captain, is there any other information available with regards to this incident?"

"Not that I know of… Oh wait, I think the last transmitted log mentioned something about Leah investigating a case of atmospheric anomaly and an unidentified energy signature. That's all I'm afraid."

"I see…"

"Is anything amiss?"

A faint glow of black and scarlet went unnoticed under my glove by anyone else other myself.

_It's time._

"We might be in for a fair bit of trouble today."

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As I turned to my fellow Forwards, I realized that they had changed into clothing of a generic white scheme. Well, I didn't really notice the other Forwards so much as I did Vivio actually. I was looking at her for a while until I was caught.

"Lazlo, why are you looking at me like that?"

I grinned mischievously.

"I was just noticing how much you had grown in the past few months."

"Huh?" Vivio uttered before following my gaze up her slender legs towards her white miniskirt and further up towards her…

My smile got wider.

_Mission accomplished. There was that blush I liked so much._

The red-faced blonde began hitting my arm with all her might before turning away, trying to hide that brilliant shade of pink. I chuckled at that cute sight.

_Old habits die hard._

"Mou… we're on a mission you know."

"I won't let anything happen to you. Nor anyone else for that matter." I said in all seriousness.

"Where do you get that absurd confidence from?"

"Because, I am the strongest mage in the world." I said puffing out my chest theatrically.

_That's not too far off._

"One man can't change the world you know."

"I know. But what's the use of all the power in the world if you can't at least protect those you care about?"

_Even if I can't say it yet, you're definitely the one I care for the most. There is no doubt about that at all._

"You're impossible…" she said exasperatedly, but with laughter in her eyes.

I pulled her waist in closer in a half-hug. "But you're incredible."

_You're worth it. You're worth any risk. You're that incredible._

We stayed that way for a moment.

"Aren't you going to change into your barrier jacket? Don't tell me you want to fight in those training fatigues?"

"Barrier Jacket?"

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"So I just have to give tell Yukishiro to activate the barrier jacket when I set her up?"

"Her?"

"Ya, since Snow White is a her after all."

"You figured it out I see. That's not really important right now."

"Okay. Yukishiro, set up."

A bluish white light enveloped my body and I felt articles being materialised on my body directly. A black breastplate adorned with an insignia made up of red lines appeared over my torso together with black trousers of matching design. A long white coat with a single long sleeve over the left hand followed suit, before an ornate black and scarlet gauntlet covered my left hand. The process ended with a single raven bracer forming on my right arm while a white glove covered my right hand. Quite an eclectic look I'm sure… but then again…

"I make this look good, don't I?"

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As we approached the drop-off position, Vivio approached me with a box of cartridges.

"Here. I didn't see you load up just now."

"Excuse me?"

"Mou…" she took Yukishiro from my hand and ejected a long slim case from the hilt. Pointing the empty spaces where the cartridges were meant to be loaded in at me, I gave a soft "Oh".

Despite all this, I watched happily as the girl started loading the clip up for me carefully. I felt my affection swell before getting squashed a little later by that familiar weight in my heart. The weight made up of fear, guilt and apprehension. I hate this. It's time to do something about it anyway.

_There's a rune nearby… I can't hide it much longer. Might as well… I can't proceed without letting you know. We can't proceed without letting you know…It's better if you know. When you do, you can decide. I'll put myself in your hands for a change._

"Here. You're pretty hopeless for the world's strongest mage."

"You're right about that."

As she turned around, I called out.

"Vivio."

"Yes?"

"Mind spending some time with me after this? I want to tell you things."

"Are we at that stage already?"

"That's up to you really."

"You better don't die on me then."

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Arriving on the planet, Claudia's sensors picked up two points of interest; Leah's distress signal and the atmospheric anomaly. Being the fastest flyer, I volunteered to check out the beacon on my own as well as the anomaly, freeing up the other Forwards to carry out a wide area search for the suspected Lost Logia. I suggested that Nanoha-san coordinate the area search in order to increase its success rate. After all, I doubt I can get lost tracking a beacon. The suggestion was accepted and I was given the coordinates for the anomaly as well.

_Great. I better make this quick so I can search for that rune. _

Blasting off with my HiMAT, I reached the source of the distress signal quite quickly. That's one mission objective down. I was planning to just go straight after the anomaly when I happened to take a better look around. The debris strewn in the area was few and fairly widely spaced apart. There were no larger chunks around, nor were there many burnt remains.

_That's strange. If the patrol ship was attacked and sunk by, say, another ship, the remains should remain more or less gathered closely in the same area, but the evidence is against it. So the ship was likely struck from the surface of the planet. The lack of large debris also suggests that the weapon used was powerful enough to obliterate a ship into relatively small pieces, for the lack of burning implied that no further secondary physical decay was experienced by any debris. So something powerful enough to obliterate an entire patrol ship directly from the surface on a low-technology planet would suggest… an active True Rune… one who had chosen its bearer, who had no qualms knocking out a TSAB ship directly… Shit._

I opened a transmission link directly to Nanoha-san.

"Madam Captain, gather the Forwards together for now. It's too dangerous for them to be dispersed."

"Why would you say that Lazlo-san?"

"Someone obliterated the Leah from the surface of the planet. Someone armed with a True Rune. They don't stand a chance on their own."

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"Do you know why they regrouped us again Erio?" asked Vivio.

"No idea, it was a command transmission. Whatever it was, it seemed urgent." replied the redhead.

"Hey look, it's Caro. But who's that on her tail… Caro!" Lutecia screamed out as she saw the pink summoner get struck on the back by that black figure.

"He'll pay for hurting Caro. Let's get him!" growled Erio as he loaded several cartridges into Strada. Vivio followed suit.

"Sonic Move UE." two digital voices rang out.

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The male lancer arced forward in blinding speed towards the falling summoner and caught her before impacting the ground.

"Erio…" greeted the wounded girl weakly.

"We really should stop meeting like this." replied the redhead wryly as he patched up the wound as best he can with a healing spell. Apparently her barrier jacket and her auto-shields being at full power was the only thing that stopped that blow for severing her spine…

"Sorry…"

(The sounds of gunfire and clashing continued behind them.)

"Come on. It's time to return the favor."

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The female lancer arced towards the black figure who had just fell her friend from behind, growling in fury as she unleashed a flurry of slash and thrust variations. The purple gunner followed suit with a barrage of magic projectiles. However, the black figure was equal to each and parried with familial ease, smirking in glee.

_What the…_

"Oh good. Feisty ones. Much better than the other ones. Shall we play?"

The flow of attack suddenly reversed and our young blonde was forced on the defensive from the sudden surge in the speed and power of the black figure's strikes. The mad grin got wider as his moves became wild with a perversely cheerful abandon.

"Oh! You're still standing! Well done! "

Gritting her teeth, Vivio defended as best she can against the two black blades, but she felt herself get blown back even when she had parried the blow fully. The cuts and bruises on her grew as she got knocked around like a rag doll of a spoilt brat.

_What's with this guy's strength! I'm getting hurt even though it's not getting through my defense! Hyabai. He's beyond me. But even with his mad slashing, there should eventually be an…_

There it was. A rare opening presented itself after the black figure overcommitted to a particularly heavy attack that hurt even though it was turned away with the shaft. Nevertheless, she spun the lance as she turned her back on the enemy, gaining a precious few seconds from the unexpectedness of that move. That was all that she needed to thrust her spear past her sides in a reverse thrust that met a solid thud and a slow depression. Twisting the blade slightly, she quickly withdrew and connected a second horizontal sweep with her blade, opening a gash on his chest and knocking the man back. Lutecia followed the attack with several well placed shots that generated small explosions upon impact, blowing the man back further.

_There. Tear the flesh to hit the bones. Just like Lazlo said. It's when the enemy is certain of winning you that you get the chance for a critical strike._

The smoke cleared in a short while revealing the black man just floating there. He looked at the spear wounds on himself and laughed maniacally. Discoloured eyes widened as his injuries began to close on their own.

"Hahaha! I can't remember the last time I was hurt this bad since that island boy. This has gotten so damn fun!"

By this time, Erio and Caro had pulled up beside the other two forwards and looked in incredulity at the mad visage in front of them. Grips on their devices tightened.

"Well, let's do this."

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Author's Notes:

I must apologize for the quality of this chapter. It's somewhat disjointed with technical details, trivia, romantic progression and teasers for better fight scenes ahead. The theme remained "warming up" but really, I should have separated them in different chapters with more specific themes. But I'm a bit lazy and with two philo papers pressing down on my poor head, this is the best I can do for now.

With regards to the progression of Lazlo and Vivio's relationship, it might seem like I'm jumping the gun a little; but really, the two of them are just starting to cement their relationship on more official grounds. While I understand (theoretically of course.) that immortals might have their own baggage to deal with, the most immediate ones should be the fact that he hadn't been totally truthful with himself, about himself and finally about his pasts. So I decided to write it in this sequence. Besides, I think I'm falling in love with the character that I'm giving Vivio too, so I'm impatient for her to "settle down", so to speak. On a very trivial note, I modeled her on an ex-girlfriend, one who I still care greatly for, so that explain things… though I doubt it's healthy to fall in love with your own characters… That's almost like being one of the Narcissists… never mind, scrap that thought. Pretend that I never said it.

Not much reference in this chapter, except maybe for Hyabai, which I hope means "this is bad" owing to my incomplete training in Japanese. And I'm terming the Unrestricted versions of old spells with a UE behind them for the sake of differentiating them with the original spells. I hope the technical part of that is still comprehensible. At times I really wonder if I should be writing guidebooks instead of these stories. Oh well.

The next chapter will carry on the fight with our favourite demon and the long awaited debut of our favourite rune as well. It's gonna blow him and you away. Hopefully.

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Omake 7: Fetish

(During the test-firing of Lazlo's UE spells…)

N: Atta boy Lazlo! Pump more juice into it!

(F walks into this scene just for the omake.)

F: Haiz

V: What's the matter F-mama?

F: It's nothing dear. It's just that I feel inadequate.

V: Why mama? You're a legend in the Enforcers!

(N squeals again at another particular high damage reading.)

N: Come on, put some back into it! Harder!

F: Haiz… it's not about that. It just that well…

V: Well?

N: That's good. Now try to draw out the process longer. It might go higher!

F: Haiz… it's just that I've never heard N this enthusiastic and excited before

V: Huh? Really?

F: Yah, she's really loud and vocal now. But when I'm with her, she always get very soft and mewy.

V: She mews?

F: Yah, and she doesn't look at me with the same desire in her eyes and salivates like she does now either.

V: Erm… mama? (Turning red slightly.)

F: Haiz… Sometimes I wonder if big guns and earthshaking explosions turn her on more.

(N smacks the two of them on the back of their heads.)

V & F: Ow.

N: Fate!


	12. Chapter 12

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 11: Demon and Monster

_This isn't going very well. Even if it's four on one, this guy's strength is ridiculous. Not only is he super fast and super strong, but he regenerates too? Now THAT'S overkill for you. But no matter what, we'll have to hold out for another ten minutes or so, or at least until Nanoha-mama comes with Agito-san. Or him… the world's strongest mage eh? I thought you said you weren't gonna let me get hurt…I'm still holding you to that…where the hell are you…_

"Well, let's do this."

On that signal, the Erio and I charged our Sonic Moves once again and arced towards the black swordsman hoping to gain the initiative with the first attack. The two of us got on either side on him and proceeded to harass him with pincer type hit and fly attacks, speed being the only advantage left to us, while Lutecia provided us with cover fire as best she could. But it isn't working. No matter how fast we charged at him, his swords always got in the right position to repel our attacks. Lutecia's shots weren't having much effect either.

"Is that the best you four can do? You call that buzzing around attacks?" The black knight growled out. "An attack should be something like this!"

Black flames emerged from his blades and he charged towards Erio in a wild slash attack. The Front Attacker parried with Strada but the impact of the blow blew him back, breaking his guard. Totally vulnerable, the black flames leapt forward at that precise moment, taking the form of a black wolf-like shape. The redhead erected a barrier hastily but the shape solidified behind it and raised its knife-like claws in a strike.

"Sonic Move UE."

A pink flash arced from a distance and knocked into the male lancer.

"Caro! What are you…"

"Gigan Barrier." Kerykeion's voice rang out again and a blue and red barrier flashed out immediately.

The black creature crashed into the barrier and dispersed into black particles. The pink summoner breathed a sigh of relief and smiled a little smile at the lancer.

"I know, we really should stop meeting like this."

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_I can't believe this. Caro just saved me over there. What a totally reckless, dangerous, crazy, bold, brave, unbelievable… thing to do… wait… that's…not this time! HYAH!_

The black figure suddenly faded in behind the Fullback with a black blade raised.

"Look what you done to my poor wolfie. Bad girl."

"STAY AWAY FROM MY CARO!"

"Thunder Rage UE."

Erio appeared behind the black knight and arced forward in a streak of light much like a sonic move and ran Strada straight into the armored back before kicking off his back as several dozen lightning bolts appeared from multiple directions at once. All of a sudden, countless other lightning bolts appeared, almost enveloping the black figure completely within a sphere made out of yellow spears before they converged with extreme velocity unto him, slamming a city's worth of electrical damage directly into him at once.

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_Wha… a power surge? The limiters are off! _The flash from the Unrestricted attack blinded the sky for a moment. _Erio! What an amazing attack! Since when did you… we really should stop risking ourselves for the other though. And did he just call me his Caro? I'll never let him live that down now! And that attack gave me an idea…_

The red lancer appeared out of a yellow streak of light in front of me, panting and breathing rather heavily.

"Erio! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine… We really, REALLY shouldn't even try to use Belkan Unrestricted spells. Take my word for it. If the limiters didn't lift at that moment, I wouldn't be able to pull that off…"

"BAKA! Lazlo-san warned us! That could have taken out your linker core permanently!"

"But I was angry!"

A softer "Baka" sounded out.

Before the smoke had even cleared, that haunting sound of maniacal laughter rang out, more buoyant than earlier.

"No way… even after that…"

"Erio, you can't try something like that again! We're a team! We should fight like one!"

"You're right…"

A telepathic message sounded within their minds. It was Lutecia. And she sounded a little miffed.

"_Erio, Caro. If you two are done chatting over there, we're gonna try that move again. The one we almost took down Lazlo with."_

_Yep. Definitely miffed._

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_Just what did he mean by my Caro. Damn! I better keep my eye on that pinkhead later. But first things first…Damn, that guy is still standing. He's worse than Lazlo... Oh yeah, we can always try that move again. It didn't work against him, but… it's worth a shot._

The smoke cleared at last to show the laughing black figure completely encased within a black cocoon of light that was slowing fading away.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! You actually made me defend seriously! That offensive anger really suits you boy!"

"There's plenty more where that came from. Help yourself!" the redhead growled and charged forward together with Vivio, engaging the black knight in close combat.

I looked at Caro.

"I'm counting on you for support spells. I'm going forward."

"Hai."

"Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"I'm not jealous."

_Right…_

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_We're really pulling out all the stops this time. Talk about working for your keep._

The flow of the combat became slightly more balanced when Lutecia joined the forward line. By using her own version of Sonic Move UE, she was running circles around the black knight, strafing at him with Zes Lupine, the rapid barrage and closer proximity making the Guard a real nuisance to the figure.

_She's improved._

One of the black knight's swords broke through my guard and the other was about to strike me when a small blue and red disc zipped in front of me and deflected the blow away just enough for me to evade the rest of it. I glanced around and saw Caro controlling several small discs which were flying around helping the other forwards deflect attacks that would otherwise hit them directly.

_A mini-Gigan Barrier? And twelve of them?_

Another disc helped deflect another attack from an angle close to me.

_I see. By compressing the barrier, she makes them stronger than usual since the defensive power is condensed. The smaller size also makes it easier to maintain and allows her to control them like remote projectiles. Plus by deflecting each attack from an angle instead of absorbing them directly, the threshold point is never reached, thus each and every attack amplifies its previous strength…She's improved too._

I looked at Vivio and nodded, signaling the start of the combination attack. The two of us loaded several cartridges into our devices and proceed to create multiple Silhouettes of ourselves while using Sonic Move UE to repeat the pincer hit and fly attacks we used earlier. Except this time, we kept leaving a trail of afterimages.

_Good, his attention is on us. He hasn't even noticed that Lutecia's shots are coming anymore. It's almost time…_

"_Now." _The mental message came.

After the last pincer attack, we broke from the routine and charged up our devices for a different attack. From the gap we left, Lutecia suddenly appeared out from a Sonic Move UE and pointed Zes Lupine down at the black figure's head from point blank range and unleashed a Variable Bullet UE, one that had been boosted several times over from Caro's Unrestricted boost spells during the time they had not been noticed.

As expected, the black knight tried to parry the powerful high density energy attack but the barrier surrounding the bullet made cutting through it tougher than he expected, pushing him back nearer towards the ground. At that time, we struck with Speerangriff UE to the back of his head since his blades were occupied and drove him straight crashing into the ground. A flurry of unrestricted binding spells were released from our lance devices straight after impact and before the black knight could react, he found himself chained by at least a dozen binds, to which the two forwards standing over him were still feeding their energy into to strengthen.

_Maze of Steel, successful._

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_It worked! It didn't before since Lazlo never underestimated any of us and saw through our attempt to hide the other two forwards with the Silhouette decoys, but this guy is too conceited by his own power. Serves him right. But more importantly, where is he? The battle's almost…_

The black knight wasn't laughing so much now. He had been taken down good by a bunch of kids less than one hundredth of his age. Needless to say he wasn't feeling very humorous at the moment.

"Looks like I played a little too much today."

I grinned defiantly at him.

"You think?"

"Perhaps I should get serious now."

"When you're wrapped like a Christmas present?"

"Thanks for reminding me."

The black knight suddenly faded out from sight.

"What the…"

"Vivio! Behind you!" shouted Erio.

I turned to see five, no six copies of that black knight standing behind me with cold smiles full of malice and they charged me at once. I activated my barrier at full power and defended myself as best I can but I was getting knocked around like a toy between the six copies. The other forwards were locked in combat with another two copies, fighting desperately to get to where I am. I tried to pick myself up from the ground but find that I could do little then to turn towards the six copies that had lined themselves out causally in front of me, looking amusedly at the fear in my face. The six figures began to blur and six black streaks converged towards me at once.

_Lazlo._

……

That dreaded contact never came. Only the sound of a metallic clash rang out. I opened my eyes and the first things I noticed… was a long white nodachi, flowing silver blonde hair, a white barrier jacket and a left hand glowing with an angry black and scarlet light…

"Island boy!"

"You'll pay for touching my Vivio, demon."

_You're late._

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_Island boy! He's here! What a surprise! He's quite the human. Probably the only one ever to push me that far that other time in the realm of chaos. Ah, and he brings such great gifts. Another True Rune. Just what I was looking for._

A bright blue blur flashed right before my eyes and I found all twelve of my blades stopped by a single long white one. A familiar rune was saying hi to me.

"Island boy!"

"You'll pay for touching my Vivio, demon."

The left hand howled with my favourite sounds of pain and suffering. I barely had time to bring Hachifusa out before an intense column of black and red flames spiralled out with a fierce white light at it cortex, ripping apart the other five mes completely and painfully.

_Now that is what I call a proper greeting._

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_Argh! What's with these groans and moans of pain and despair? It's seeping directly into my mind! … Oh good, it's letting up… It's Lazlo, he really came… is that Lazlo? He feels different from the normal Lazlo… he almost feels like that…_

"Sorry I'm late. Someone left his trash around the place."

"I can't help it if those skeleton dragons follow me everywhere. It's not like I wanted to hang around those weaklings."

His left hand clenched tightly, intensifying the glow that surrounded it. Come to think of it, he hasn't taken off that glove once in the six months I had known him…

"Vivio, please observe the fight carefully. You can decide whether you still want me to tell you things after that."

I nodded.

_He's making things sound so serious… _

But the next thing he said and the way he said it made my blood run cold.

"Shall we begin? I'm dying to kill you again."

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The other forwards finally managed to take down the last two copies, although it owed more to the black knight shifting interest from the clones to their trainer. As they gathered around the fallen Vivio, their attention was caught by the unfamiliar aura of the blonde man before them. Before anyone can call out to him, he blasted off in the direction of the dark knight as they took the battle further up the atmosphere.

"Vivio… what's with Lazlo-san?" asked Caro almost in a whisper.

"I don't know… I really don't…"

The next thing they knew, the sky lit up with a series of red, black and white flashes that filled up half of the horizon at a time. The figure with the blue wings chased down the black figure as they came into view of the forwards before streaking away again. They saw their familiar team-mate launch another fearsome column of black, white and scarlet in a horizontal sweep just barely missing the black figure. He did however reduce a stretch of jungle to black dust wafting atop a crater. No burning. No explosions. Just pure, absolute and instantaneous decay and destruction. All eyes went wide with that.

"Is it me or…" whispered Erio,

"… does it seem like…" continued Caro,

"… he's the same as him…" and finished Lutecia.

No one dared venture an answer. They could only look on at who they had thought was their warm and close friend. The one who had hid his power, the one who had seeked control over it, the one who had trained them to their present levels today. They realized they never really understood him beyond that aloof grin, the pleasant demeanor and the help that they received.

Erio gripped his Strada tightly and torn between his urge to go after his friend and simple, basic fear.

"Don't." said Vivio.

"Why?" asked Erio.

"Yes, don't go Erio." repeated Nanoha who had reached a while ago with Agito unisoned with her. The others didn't even notice her due to their thoughts. "If you're not sure of your own feeling with regards to this, then don't. It's not like you're able to do anything at your level of power now either."

Nanoha was always surprisingly and brutally blunt when she was in professional mode. However, it was the same quality that they call dense when she wasn't.

Erio relaxed his grip on Strada a little and tried to straighten his thoughts more.

"What about you Vivio?" Nanoha asked.

Despite her condition, Vivio lifted herself off the ground with neither words nor hesitation and flew as best she could towards where the pair of blue wings had remained fairly constant for the time being.

"Nanoha-san, you can't let her go like this. I haven't healed her enough yet." protested Caro.

"Don't worry," Nanoha said with a solemn face. "I'll catch her when she falls. It's what mothers do."

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_I can't deny it. I'm enjoying this. Feeling the full extent of my power after holding it back for so long. Knowing that I'm probably the strongest mage around. Thinking that I'm the only one around who can match Yuber like this, even in his realm of Chaos. Maybe it's because I'm like him. Perhaps I'm becoming inhuman as well…_

After trading long range attacks from their True Runes, it became evident that they weren't going to decide a winner between them like this. Some sort of unspoken camaraderie seemed to exist all of a sudden and two black blades met the white of Yukishiro in nodachi form in an almost artistic dance of death. Neither really knew who many they had killed in this dance, nor did they really seem to care anymore anyway. After a hefty clash, the two leapt away from each other. The demon assumed a familiar stance and the faint activation of rune magic was detected by the blonde.

_Yukishiro, load new circuit. Code name…_

"Silhouette Cut." the white nodachi rang out.

Both swordsmen split into eight mirror images with each other and clashed with each other. However, the demon was caught by surprise from the unexpected mirroring of his attack by the blonde and took a hefty thrust through his torso. The blonde took the chance to send all of his clones into a seven prong attack on the wounded core demon while disintegrating the other clones of the demon with a single Double-Edged Sword spell from his True Rune that cleaved through them, leaving a single heaving demon with several deep gashes that are still trying to pull themselves together.

"You stole the feather in my cap, Island Boy."

"It looks better on me. Besides, payback is bitch."

"We have much alike, you and I."

"We are anything but."

"Sure we do. You're in denial."

"Shut up demon."

"We are both immortal and powerful. Like it or not, you're not a human anymore. I can at least be called a demon. If anything, you can only be a monster. A demon and a monster. Why not we become brothers? You do bear the brother rune of mine after all."

"The Rune of Punishment has nothing to do with the Hachifusa."

"Didn't you know? Hachifusa governs the impetus for evil and destruction in the world. What my rune start, your rune punishes and my rune gains in power as well since more evil will only originate from punishment. Evil does not discriminate with mortal views on justice after all, whatever that flimsy term means."

"That means nothing to me."

"But I'm generous, so I'll tell you this. Hachifusa is not a name given to it by foolish humans. It is the name it chose for itself when all of the original darkness congealed into it. The closest translation by the rune itself in your tongue is Rune of the End. I thought your rune might want to know this since the brothers were the backbone of the Sword, the source of destruction. Notice how our powers are alike?"

"Have your wounds closed yet?"

"Oh, so you knew."

"I fought you everyday for five years. I know you're a sore loser."

"Hahaha. Well then, I'm wounded. I was anyway. And now, it's time to return the favour."

The demon holds out his right hand and a dark light swirls around it.

"I thought we had been through this."

The demon smirks and pulls out a small capsule from his armor. Within floats a green symbol that glows radiantly.

"Luc's…"

"Watch this."

The light from the green rune dims and the black light of the Hachifusa grows even fiercer than before.

"Join me."

I raised my left hand.

"I rather much die."

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_The force of the black light crashed into my black and scarlet with twice the power of what a True Rune should have. I can feel myself being pushed back by its brute power alone, having to resort using my wings to gain some sort of footing to resist it. This did not make it any less painful though, it only gave me more ways to die, from being burnt out by the rune's full power, disintegrated by the passing of my own rune, or being crushed between the force of the light and the very wings that I had given orders not to back down. But even if I did, I won't let it hit the surface. No chance in hell I would…_

A white blonde figure came into view from the surface of the planet. Her flight was unsteady and labored, but she kept coming up and steadily towards my altitude.

_She had seen what I am, and she still came… That's her answer then… In that case…_

I pushed back against the black light as best I could so I could hold Yukishiro with my left hand.

_I have a date that I won't miss for the end of the world. _

"Yukishiro, link additional core energy path to my left hand"

"External power source accepted, my sovereign. Commencing influx."

I willed my rune for its final spell.

Yukishiro's voice rang out. "Rune/Hybrid system: Everlasting Mercy, UE"

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The effects of the spell far exceeded my expectations. The power output felt amplified by more than a factor of three as I had come to expect with the experience of the Unrestricted system. The resultant and sudden expansion of power from a mix of black, scarlet and white blew the Hachifusa's black light back before scattering them into nothingness, as expected from the usual mode of my rune's effect. Saying that Yuber was shocked by the sudden explosion of power is an understatement. I can vaguely remember seeing half his body crumble before he teleported himself away, a sore loser as usual. He dropped the capsule though. I caught it before it fell to any other demon or monster's hand…

The strain of using such a powerful spell through the UE system is catching up with me as I fell from the altitude. I had been firing spells away the whole day and using my wings far past what I should have. My linker core is actually running on empty. Something I never expected. My left arm felt numb and limp, a side-effect of putting a Rune through the UE system no doubt. Something I did not expect.

I felt the lingering cries of those who had perished by the light of my rune, the excessive residual amount of black and scarlet from my spell returning. They had gathered and assailed my mind with their psychic grievance and anguish. That was expected. I expected to be punished for the sin of punishment, it's just as Yuber said. That those punished were now having their fill doing the same to the one who dealt it was to be expected. What I did not expect was to find the white angelic figure that I had conjured in Everlasting Mercy, one made up of the spirits of the perished, wrapping her white light, arms and featureless smile around me, feeling warmth and comfort seep back into my left arm, as opposed to the black and scarlet of the others. Glenn, Mother… among others… those who had and were forgiven. _Thank you._

Before I lost consciousness from energy drain, I vaguely recalled crashing into a certain warm blonde body. Something I did not expect again. But it's a good surprise and I felt myself held.

"Fancy meeting you here."

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Author's Notes:

How's this for action? Please let me know what you think of it since this is my first extended fight scene. Personally I think I've outdone myself for all time, but hey, please comment.

Loads of original ideas, story plots and other stuff. It really is like my own story from here on. I hope you liked my linking of the Hachifusa and the Rune of Punishment. For more information, read the small side story below this comments section. I've also conceptualised my own ideas about the black and scarlet colours for the Rune of Punishment, and added white into the fray. The same goes for the spells for the Hachifusa seen. For more info, refer to the references.

If Lazlo seemed much darker in this chapter, well, that's because he is. He has been around for a while and really, killing one more person after two centuries of killing really isn't so much of a big deal anymore. A mere number perhaps. I also delved into the darker sides of being as powerful as he is. He is very much like Yuber, becoming more like him as he keeps exceeding the limits of humanity. That's why I have Vivio around. As in a previous chapter, she will be the main thing that's keeping him human. The amount of puns and references about killing and dying is to demonstrate his sardonic humour, that bored attempt at self-amusement.

A trivial point about Yukishiro. I didn't really mention why the blade changed length into nodachi in the chapter. That's kinda trivial compared to my grand masterplan, though if you are interested., Lazlo was fighting some skeletion dragons who delayed him a little. So the longer blade might make cutting through those overgrown lizards easier.

Now for a load of references

Thunder Rage UE: The Unrestricted version of Thunder Rage. The upgrades include the addition of the Sonic Move component, hence becoming an omni-directional attack, and increasing the number of lightning bolts around that will converge from all directions. Think reverse hedgehog.

Mini-Gigan barrier: an idea borrowed from Sunrises' old Gundam, Mercurious. Those who know will understand how it functions.

Maze of steel: A combination attack for four people in Suikoden V. Resembles another more complete attack, but without the protagonist.

Rune/Hybrid System: An impromptu system formed by connecting a rune directly into a UE circuit. Bear in mind runes are pretty independent power sources, so it can be used like this to pump up the oomph of a spell. My original concept. However, the rune's sentience conflicts with the device, so sometimes the available spells alternate between those of the device's design and the runes basic spells. Either way, the power generated is at least tripled, (since its (LinkerCore+RunePower)x3 instead of solely (LinkerCore)x3 or (RunePower)x3) Drawback will be intense energy drain and damage to the body of the user from having to bear the stress of so much power.) Lazlo connects the Rune of Punishment out of a mix of desperation and inspiration, so this system is really still new to him too. Will be experimented upon more in later chapters. One more trivial point, the sentience of the True Rune is much more powerful than Yukishiro or any devices for that matter, so the Lazlo's resultant spell came out as Everlasting Mercy UE as opposed to something like a super power-upped Divine Buster UE

Rune of Punishment: My conceptualisation is located after the side story. Please read that first.

Hachifusa: My conceptualisation is located after the side story. Please read that first.

Silhouette Cut: Lazlo's version of Yuber's Eight Devil Cut. Produces eight or more solid materialised Silhouettes by means of the UE system which pack quite a powerful punch, depending on the base stats of the cloned.

Eight Devil Cut: the move Yuber uses to create clones of himself against Vivio.

That's it for today. If in doubt, review or email. That's what I would do. By the way, this is not the last chapter even if it looks like it. Might have to wait for next chapter though, since I'll have to actually be busy with school for a change.

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Omake 8: Lore of Chaos (it's more like a side story.)

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_In the beginning, there was "darkness." Then, the "darkness" shed a "tear."_

_From that "tear," the brothers Sword and Shield were born._

_Shield claimed it could defend against any attack._

_Sword claimed it could slice through anything._

_The brothers began a legendary battle._

_At the end, both Sword and Shield shattered._

_Sword became the sky, Shield became the earth, and the sparks from the battle became the stars._

_As for the jewels, they fell to the ground and became the True Runes--The runes that all other runes were born from._

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But what of the "darkness"? It would not let itself be shadowed by its spawn.

From the conflict of the Sword and the Shield, the sword shattered.

Part of the sword became the sky, the jewelled backbone of the sword became two True Runes that fell with the other twenty-five

The Jewels of the Sword split their paths.

One chose to follow the Sword's path and seeked destruction,

The other its own path and seeked salvation.

The former drew the primordial darkness to it, as it governed exactly it.

The latter drew existing darkness to it, as it overcomes and purifies it.

Out of the primordial darkness, it formed its champion, a being of darkness

Out of the existing darkness, it chose its champion, a being of redemption.

You see, the conflict between the brothers never really ended.

They merely chose another and an eternity.

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Hachifusa: I conceptualised it as sort of a brother rune to the Rune of Punishment and the anti-thesis to the Rune of Beginning. I got around the name by conceptualising it as name the rune gives itself, a mark of its significant sentience. I also added in the idea of the backbone of the Sword, inspired from Archer's "I am the bone of my sword" chant from FSN. Since the sword was the source of destruction needed in the creation, the two runes inherited that type of power. But the Hachifusa decided to follow the path of the sword and became the True Rune that governed evil and destruction needed for the world to function. This attracted the leftover primordial darkness and chaos to it, giving it much higher sentience and evil intentions, though its power remained roughly equal to other True Runes. Out of this primordial darkness and chaos, it crafted its own champion, a bearer for itself, and fused with it permanently. The result was a being born completely out of darkness with a mind that rivalled the Rune in evil intent. Guess who was born. The concept of "Two sides of the same coin, but opposites nonetheless".

Spells: So far I crafted three. One is the summoning of creatures from the realm of Chaos as projectiles. Suits a sadistic best like him, no? The second is the one he used to sink the Leah. A sphere of black energy with occasional impurities and brown images of faces contorted in pain and suffering within which is unleashed in a wide area attack, perhaps as fireball-type projectile. The last is the one he powered up by draining True Wind. Creates a sea of black, negative energy and crashes it like a tidal wave. Seems simple, but bear in mind its nature is pure destruction, so it can blanket whole worlds and dissolve it into nothing. Suits a genocidal maniac no doubt. I've also separated the Eight Devil Cut from the Hachifusa, since in Suikoden 3, Yuber came with it and not Hachifusa.

Rune of Punishment: The True Rune that governs atonement and forgiveness. I've conceptualised it to be mainly black and scarlet, with the occasional white energy. Black and scarlet as symbols for any combination of the punished but unforgiven and punished but unforgiving. White would hence be those punished, forgiven and forgiving. The mode of the damage is not usually energy-based, but pure destruction. So it doesn't burn or impact upon the enemy like a traditional Divine Buster type attack, but breaks down his very existence, hence the instant disintegration.

Further conceptualisation by me includes the ties to the Hachifusa, as mentioned earlier. Both shares a same mode of destructive nature in the manifestation of their powers. While the Hachifusa chose to attract primordial darkness to use it for destruction, the Rune of Punishment chose to attract existing darkness for redemption and salvation. Just as the Hachifusa created its own bearer out of its darkness, The Rune of Punishment chose its bearer among the existing darkness it has attracted, but one who exemplifies the ideal of redemption. Hence, the standoff between Lazlo and Yuber. Not that Lazlo would know, since this extension of the creation myth isn't known by anyone other than he who shares the mind with the Hachifusa. True Runes predate history, remember? One of the reasons why Yuber claims that the Hacifusa can get stronger when Lazlo uses his rune is also because it feeds on negative emotions that spurn destruction as well, it very well applies to any rune capable of destructive power, such as every OTHER True Rune that will appear. But this is known only to Yuber and you privileged readers of course.

Spells available: Lvl 1 spell only available to the Orb of Condemnation and unavailable to the Rune of Punishment, Eternal Ordeal (2nd lvl): a single target spell that hasn't been seen used yet. Unusual in the fact that it is stronger than the 3rd lvl spell, Causes damage to self as recoil, form of spell undecided. , Double-Edged Sword (3rd lvl): the main attack shown in the chapter, sword-like ray of light in sweeping wide area attack, takes the from of a black and scarlet column with a white cortex. , Voice of Death (4th level): single attack type, high chance of killing outright, 10 chance of killing user, Form undecided for now, Everlasting Mercy (5th and Final): Rune's most powerful attack, used in the chapter at the end, has the ability to cause damage to the all enemies and heal all allies at the same time, takes the from of creating a sea of black and scarlet light and a singular large white angelic figure that directs the white light in attack, followed and amplified by the black and scarlet. UE version more than triples effect, further information pending writing.


	13. Chapter 13

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 12: Memories

_I hadn't had any dreams for a while. Not that I needed to sleep very often, but even when I did, they were few and far in between. But I seem to be caught in a very long one at the moment. A very long one indeed. I saw Snowe again, back from when we were still playing in Vingerhut Mansion. We made quite an odd pair; the son of a lord and a tavern boy picked from the sea. But we didn't care. The images grew older and blurred, and boys became cadets at the academy. We were locked in a swordfight, one of the ways we amused ourselves back then. We smiled as we played out a dance of steel, and the images blurred again and the smiles disappeared, replaced by eyes moist with forbidden wetness as the playtime had became a nightmare. As with always, I had came out on top. My eyes burned as I raised my blades to strike, and then the scene blurred. It was the last I saw of Snowe, laid out upon silken sheets. I clasped his hands before his imminent passing, eyes obscured by that familiar hot burning sensation. "Always the crybaby" he whispered. I ruffled his snowy white hair, taking in the newly discovered ridges and lines. "I never did change I guess." I looked at the familiar visages present with me in the room, an older version of the Snowe that I had fought and the boy who I had grown up with. The boy asked the older of two other unfamiliar women, "Who's that crying in front of grandpa?" "An old __friend, and his best friend." Came the reply. And so passeth Snow Vingerhut, favoured lord of Razril and patron of the Gaien Knight Academy. Age eighty-six._

_The next vision came to me, a vision of __splendour among modesty, a paradoxical setting there was any. A royal palace left unfurnished by any other then the jewels of the island themselves. A figure stood tall, back against me. An imposing stature with familiar blonde. A girl with blazing red hair had brushed alongside me and spoke with the earlier. They turned towards me. "So you're the one they picked out at sea." The scene blurred and the palace turned into a ship. The familiar two figures stood distant upon the rear deck, shielding their eyes from the light. I knew then what has to be done. I raised my left hand for what might be the final time. I mouthed my "Goodbyes" and was greeted with two screams. "Lazlo! Don't!" The scene blurred again and the previous utterance echoed. The strained visages before me pleaded but I shook my head. "But Your Majesty, you don't have to mind what they say! You're the reason the Federation has been prosperous for close to half a century." I removed the crown and set it on the head of flowing white. "An immortal king will always be seen as a tyrant. There are no half-truths in that. But I am sure Obel will still be in good hands." "But Brother!" "Besides, there is no place for me anymore." And so here cometh the days of the Queen, Flare En Kuldes. Long may she rule, true and beloved for this generation and the next._

_The next scene took place within familiar walls of the ship. A bight flash of brilliant blue faded into pale lustre. A now familiar countenance smiled to me as she spoke. "Well met, Tenkai star and bearer of the Rune of Punishment." The scene faded and darkness obscured my sight. A path of black and scarlet stretched into a dark oblivion. As I prepared to walk down the darkened path, a familiar voice reached out. "That too is your choice. You have done well to bring together the stars into alignment. As my thanks, I will reach my hand out to you." The bright blue light appeared and a pale hand gestured welcome. I grasped it readily. And darkness became bright and faded to reveal myself at the front of a boat, surrounded by wisps of fog. The familiar hand remained in offer and I grasped it again. The unseeing eyes belied her smile as she spoke once more. "I welcome you to Magician's Isle, my child." The scene swirled yet again and I find myself before her once more in a __familiar room of marble white. I groaned as I muttered. "Yes, Matron. I'll get right on it."_

_The next series of scenes took me before the expanse of vast plains and ever grander skies. I tilted my head, lost in thought among the clo__uds and a fond voice said "A potch for your thoughts?" I turned to see a smiling couple, one with a headband of brilliant crimson holding back rich raven hair, the other with flowing chestnut held back by purple clips. "No, just thinking about home." "That's a shock." Came a grim voice with wild dark hair and harsh features. A man in ornate armour tapped his shoulders. "Everyone does that once in a while. I find myself missing Chris and Anna quite a lot myself." I smiled at the bunch of people gathered, taking myself out of but feeling myself lifted back to the clouds. The scene blurred and the light fell while the clouds lit with brilliance writhing in rage. I raised my blade stained by a familiar figure, clutching his right eye. "Why?" came the most painful response. "I'm sorry." Came my poor excuse. As I raised my hand once more, I heard a howl of pain and anger. We turned to see our common friend clutching his right hand, a crimson light devouring his body feeding a similar sphere expanding above him. "Stay" I barked and with uncommon speed, I took down the distance between us, charging right into him, black and scarlet quashing out any further light from leaking. The sphere ignited and the flash blinded all it consumed. I dropped the limp body and retreated along with the survivors of the army. I turned back to see the man whose right eye I had taken leaning towards our common friend. His remaining eye spoke of only one question. The scene faded once more to a large tent. The four former comrades stood at ready against each other while two figures rose from the chairs. "As stated in our treaty, we will refrain from setting foot on the Zexen-Grasslands territory for the space of fifty years." We turned to depart but a hurt cry erupted from he with the eye patch, held back by the knight. "Tell me! Why?" The wizened signer arched a brow at me. "Bishop Lazlo?" I turned my back on them again. I was disgusted by my same excuse. "Because there's something I have to do. Farewell, I'm sorry, and I hope we never meet again."_

_A new series began again. I wished I could close my eyes, but I had no eyes to close my mind with. The white visage appeared before me in my tentage "I hate this." I uttered in disgust. "I'm sorry." she offered "As if." I replied. "You can always quit. I would not blame you." I growled and shook my head. "I'll save him, even if it means losing my soul." "I have never seen you so fixated. Why are you doing this?" An announcement came from outside the tentage. "Bishop Lazlo, sire! Preparations for the attack is ready, sire!" "Go." I acknowledged and turned back to the white figure. "He and I are far too similar. We are but puppets in the games higher beings play." "I'm sorry." I turned away. "Tell that to the hamlets I'm about to burn." The scene faded among the cries of anguish and despair into a disgustingly splendid hall with a crystal dome above. "For acts of skill and valour in the eradication of the criminals of Harmonia, and excellence beyond compare, we hereby accede to you the rank of Arch-bishop. Please rise, Archbishop Lazlo." The scene faded once more to shadowed corridors. A cell neared as I approached and I looked into it. Green hair with emeralds reflecting my own looked through me with surprise. "Who are you?" "Archbishop Lazlo." "Well, what do you want?" Black and scarlet shrieked and the walls were removed before us. "I'm going to get you out of this hell." The scene blurred and the green figure before me grew older. "Why won't you join me? You hate this hell of theirs as much as I do. We, the two of us, we can do this." I shook my head. "The end is an eventuality from the onset of the beginning. It doesn't matter when someone dies. Everyone dies in the end." "But Master! I can't sit on my eternity and watch the world die in that eventuality!" I shook my head once again. "I can't choose between our Matron and my prized pupil. Do as you will, I will neither help nor intervene." The green eyes lowered and a soft apology sounded. "I'm sorry for putting you through this…" I looked back and replied. "As do I." The scene blurred and reappeared with me perched on an outcrop of rock, my hair flowing in the winds, overlooking the dying light from the ruins in the distant. The white visage appeared beside me. "Is it over?" I asked. "Yes." came the reply. "Would things have turned out any differently if I had joined in this time?" I ventured. "No. That future is hidden from my eyes." I stood in the wind once more, alone. My eyes burned with that familiar moisture again as I felt him in the winds. _

"_Liar."_

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My eyes finally opened, laden with that familiar burning moisture once again. The first thing I felt as my sense returned was a warmth enveloping me, followed by wisps of blonde hanging slightly in disarray. The figure at the corner of my eyes stirred as I turned to take a closer look at the tardy angel before me. The grip of her arms tightened me into her embrace and I felt my heart jolt once again.

"Thank god! You're awake at last. You've been sleeping for three days."

I felt moisture of her own creation cascade unto the nape of my neck. I turned gingerly and raised a finger tentatively to brush away that which had obscured the lovely emerald and garnet from me. A second jolt followed and I felt something filling in the familiar cavity on the left of my sides. She brought her arms closer in and snuggled up towards me, before doing the same for my own eyes. I could feel my heart swell uninhibited at last.

"First thing I'm going to tell you."

"Yes?"

"I'm really just a crybaby."

That brought out the smile that I had grown so fond of… no, fell in love with. Recovering enough of my composure at last, I smiled with mischief and anticipation inwardly.

"Second thing I'm going to tell you. I didn't quite expect to get you into bed with me so quickly."

There it was, my favourite shade of pink that spread brilliantly from the cheeks, warming up my heart alongside her face. But she neither pulled back nor bolted away. Instead, she nudged the back of my neck with her forehead and muttered.

"Baka. You'll never change, will you?"

I smiled at the ingenuity of her question as it ignited so many sentiments within me, despite its beguiling simplicity.

"No. I don't think I will."

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The scene shifted to the meeting room of the Claudia. No. Not by fading in and out again, but with people walking to and fro. The Wolkenritter Knights had arrived as backup and followup, albeit a little too late. Lazlo had been talking at length to the enthralled audience about what had transpired; the nature of that demon Yuber, the true nature of the True Runes and the fact that he bore the Rune of Punishment himself. A bright flash of black and scarlet lit up the room as he illustrated things.

"Woah… So that's a True Rune?" began a nearly speechless Caro.

"Yes. Mine's the Rune of Punishment. It governs the forces of atonement and forgiveness in the world… or worlds for that matter. I had mentioned at the meeting in Saint Church that it was similar to a concentration of power, but it's really more complicated. To put it as simply as I can, all things in this world, material or immaterial, are held up by the concept of balance. Let's say that all things have this quality "existence" that allows them to exist in this world. So by the logic of balance, there will need to be an equal amount of anti-existence as well. But most things in the world can only exist or not exist, and not be of both. Therefore, the True Runes embody all of this anti-existence concentrated into one form. And since existence and anti-existence are mirror images of each other, the True Rune possesses the same power as all of the existence of that particular thing within that compressed form."

A general silence befell the room, followed by looks of awe.

"You mean to say that we just witnessed an ultimate showdown between two of the greatest possible powers in the world the other day? How wicked is that?" exclaimed Erio.

I scratched my head a little.

"Well, not quite. Somehow, Yuber managed to elicit more power from the Hachifusa than normal by draining the powers of the True Wind rune somehow. So he actually managed to exceed the maximum power of all the evil and destructive forces at his command. I managed to do the same using the new Rune-Hybrid System I just came up with, even though it nearly killed me. But I digress. Even if it's just temporary, I'm sure that little battle will have repercussions on every world with regards to the forces that were used. A large amount of evil and punishment flowed out while the power of wind weakened considerably during the battle. Even though the runes returned to normal eventually, I'm sure the effects are still nothing short of catastrophic."

Several of the audience swallowed rather hard.

"So that capsule with the green thing inside is a True Rune too?" asked Hayate-sama

"Yes. It's the True Wind rune. As its name suggests, it commands all wind."

"Is it possible to destroy these True Runes. They seem too dangerous to leave around." asked Signum-san.

I faced her with a sad expression.

"I know someone who tried. But no, that's not advisable. Can you imagine the possibility of a world without wind or air for that matter?"

"I see your point." agreed Signum-san.

"How about we keep them locked up and protected?" asked Shamal-san.

I shook my head.

"The promise of ultimate power is too much of a lure for people. I've seen many who have tried to obtain these ultimate powers no matter how well protected they are. The Sun Rune from the queendom of Falena in my world can bear testament to that. Not even the entire forces of a nation can safeguard their runes without much pain and sacrifice on their part. That's why I didn't want to reveal the things about the True Runes."

"In that case what can we do about it?" asked a contemplative Nanoha-san.

"Most True Runes choose their own mode of protection. Most choose their bearers, giving them possession of their immense power for the sake of their protection and well-being. Others acquire different forms and hide themselves. I can't say I know all of the other runes enough to speculate about this though. And don't worry about the True Wind. I'll keep an eye on it for the time being."

"Are you going to bear it on yourself?" asked Lutecia.

"No. The rune chooses its own bearer, so I can't really be certain. But humans can't handle the strain of having to deal with two sentient powers and consciousness within their body. It's hard enough living with one, barely with two and having three is out of the question. No offence to Agito-san there. If I did bear it, it would tear my body to bits."

"I see… is there anything else you think we should know of now?" asked Nanoha-san with a wry smile.

"Well…" I began hesitantly. "The True Runes also grant the users immortality. Have I mentioned that?"

"What? Then you're the same as that…" Erio started but was shushed by Caro and Lutecia quickly.

I smiled as best I could to allay their fears.

_I know I'm not like him now, so it doesn't matter._

"No. Most True Runes grant immortality, but that only means freedom from natural causes of dying like old age, disease, poison, starvation, thirst and perhaps asphyxiation. I haven't tried the last one so it's just a speculation. You can still kill me if you stab me through the heart with a stake or something. Yuber is different. He's not even human to begin with, and his True Rune is fixed permanently on him. It seems like every time I kill him, he'll just come back after some time. He's like a bug in that aspect."

"So how old are you?" asked Vivio finally.

"Two centuries I think. I've forgotten my birthday after so many years, so that's just a rough gauge."

General jaw-dropping occurred among the other Forwards, but the Wolkenritter and Vivio seemed rather accepting about it. I feel a little disappointed somewhat.

"You're not surprised?" I asked Vivio.

"A little I suppose. But then again, the Wolkenritter are even older. So it's not that much a deal really."

I arched an eyebrow at that. That was unexpected.

"Yaya." chipped in Rein-san. "Vita here is closer to three hundred. Signum there is around four…"

A pink haired knight brought her hand down on the small sprite's head and rubbed it gruffly. "I don't want to hear that from the twelve year old."

Rein-san got away from the gloved hand and shrieked shrilly. "Talk about how sensitive some women are with their age. You're just upset because you're ol…"

She didn't get to finish before the pink haired knight began chasing her around the room amidst polite laughter. I felt my true smile start to creep in a little into my face. It's been a while since I've been around true friends.

"Hai hai. Just an announcement before you guys are dismissed." Nanoha-san raised her voice over the commotion. "Forwards 1 will be granted a short vacation for their hard work over the last few days. The Wolkenritter and Forwards 2 will be around to cover for us so we can relax a little. I'm meeting Fate-san in Earth later on myself, since it's close by and all. The Forwards are welcome to join me."

"That's great. I haven't seen Grandpa in a while." Vivio said to Nanoha-san as she milled along with the other Forwards towards the door. She stopped suddenly and flashed a mischievous smile at me while a mental message continued in my mind.

"_Besides, I like older men."_

I had to smile to that.

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Author's Notes:

Another chapter sneaked in between papers. If only I write as fast for the others as well. General aftermath type of chapter, so not much references around.

As usual, reviews and comments are welcome, since they'll definitely help in the later chapters. My thanks for those who have.

The next chapter will be a little fluffy with the whole vacation and "Englishman in New York" thing, but there will be an unexpected plot development too. Well, two perhaps, but they're connected.

And finally, thank you for reading.

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Omake 9: Old Maid (in the corridors just after exiting the room.)

E: So L, how come the other knights aren't as powerful as you since they're older? Without the whole rune and all of course.

L: Well… I guess it has to do with them being linked with H-sama. Not that I'm saying H-sama is weak, but perhaps part of their power is derived directly from their master and the other from their own training and skills.

E: I see. I was just thinking. You know, there's a saying about women not aging as well as men.

(L smiled.)

L: Did you just call S old?

(Two tsukommis were heard, with S sheathing Levantine in Fan mode)

S: I heard that.


	14. Chapter 14

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 13: Passing Daydreams

_A vacation eh? Sounds familiar… hey, wasn't I supposed to be on one from the very beginning? Reminder to self: ask Matron for the balance of my leave when I get back. That's right… do not take no for an answer… on second thoughts, I better not. I think I'm busier on vacation then off… but this isn't so bad. After all, it beats a vacation alone. Things couldn't have been turned out for the better really._

A spectrum of light flashed and a brunette led a group of young men and women out from the prism of light. The time of the day was early morning, the weather was fine with a lazy warmth and the hint of breeze, and the sky graced us with the sight of a velvet dawn. In short, it's a perfect day for…

"Shopping! We've got to do lots of shopping!" exclaimed a bouncing pink head.

"That's right! There's so many things we have to get! Clothes, bags, shoes… oh and we can't forget senbei and manjyu! They're the most important things of all!" agreed a now bouncing purple head.

"Senbei? Manjyu?" I asked a little confused.

"Yah. Gotta love that crisp sound and the sticky goodness." chipped in the red head this time. I could tell by the bobbing head he was resisting the urge to bounce as best he could.

I looked at Vivio, hoping she wasn't bouncing too, as well as for some answers. Suffice to say I was pretty confused now.

"Nan to ka… well, they're popular souvenirs from this country we're in. Senbei is the local rice cracker and manjyu is kinda like a sweet sticky rice bun with various stuffing inside. Nanoha-mama brought a bunch of it back when we were still kids and for some reason they got hooked on it… it's pretty popular with the Mid Childa people too. Fate-mama used to say we could make a fortune doing imports…"

"I see…" I muttered as I carefully avoided the oddly senbei-manjyu gushing trio to whisper in her ear. "Have I told you how glad I'm that you're normal?"

She gave a slight shiver as a slight tinge lit up the ridge of her cute nose. I couldn't help but think

_Oh, a new one._

"Well… I have someone else on my mind." she admitted softly.

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A little distance off from the clearing we arrived at was Fate-san, with another of those horseless carriages from before, except it was a larger version. The captains greeted each other with a quick peck and everyone settled into it before long. I watched intrigued at the design of the buildings along the way. There were quite a few variations, ranging from tall towers of glass to shorter ones of concrete; but the ones that caught my eye were the more modest looking ones tucked in between others with small differentiations of design. They looked warm and cosy. They looked not old but well-lived. They looked like people really lived in them. I was a little envious.

_Despite the splendid marble walls and corridors I had been accustomed to, nothing beats the marvel of a real home…_

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Vivio in a whisper. Apparently the other three had fallen asleep after expending their energy gushing earlier while the two captains set in the front.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking of how charming these houses were. It would be nice if we could get to live in one someday."

"We?" came a hushed whisper.

"Huh? Did you say something?" I asked, a little apologetic for not having paid due attentions to her.

"N-nothing. I just said ya, it would be nice."

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The carriage pulled up inside a larger version of those cosy houses we saw earlier and the lot of us alighted. I looked around and I felt validated for my earlier admiration. A tiny rose garden was all that adorned the front but gave it a refreshing charm. The interior was a little narrow, but the important rooms like the commons and the dining area were of suitable size. Truly a place where people lived, for living with people you care about is really what makes a vessel a home.

"All right, you guys can take the same rooms as before. Lazlo can have the spare one on the third storey. The rooms have been dusted earlier and there are a few changes of Earth clothes inside. Take the time to change and freshen up. I thought you guys might not want to go running around in TSAB training fatigues the whole week. Meet downstairs when you're ready. We'll set off together."

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I stood before the bookcase in the commons and picked up one of the books on the shelves. Not that I could read it of course, but I missed the feel of having an actual one in my hands. This world was convenient and all, with its touch-screens and pads, but really… there's something undoubtedly missing compared to it. I was musing whether I should try to read it, for a lack of anything better to do, when the other Forwards milled in.

"Wow, Lazlo! You look great in that. How come we don't get something as nice?" chipped a cheerful Caro-san.

I blinked and looked at myself. I thought I was inconspicuously dressed. After all, apart from the long dark maroon coat, I was merely wearing black dress shirt and matching pants. If anything, the only striking features on them were the singular small white cross near the top of the concealed buttons just below the v-neck and the silver of Yukishiro which I had wrapped around my left hand as opposed to wearing it.

"That's because he makes it look good." added the new, familiar voice of a young blonde.

I turned towards the new entry and proceeded to eye her up and down unconsciously. She was wearing a deceptively simple black and white ensemble consisting of a white sleeveless blouse with a black silk tie, a black pleated skirt with thigh-high cuts along their sides, a pair of white silk pants underneath and matching long gloves. Her blonde tresses were braided at the back with bangs in front and held up with a black ribbon as well. I was at a loss for words from how strikingly beautiful she has become.

"What took you two?" quipped Caro-san

"Sorry," offered Lutecia-san slyly. "I was doing her hair. I want her to look just right for their first date."

"D-d-date?" I suddenly found my voice at the same time with Vivio. When was the last time I stammered, I wondered.

"Sou sou. It's about time. We had a lucky break with this vacation so you two better make the most of it and kiss before the end of it." continued the devious purple head.

"K-k-ki…" blurted out the flustered red-faced blonde. I was feeling a little warm in the cheeks myself.

Caro-san sniffed a little overdramatically. "Our girl is growing up so fast. I didn't want her to leave us so soon."

"There, there. Don't feel so bad. We can always look forward to grandchildren now." comforted the not so comforting Lutecia-san.

"Mou! That's enough. Let's go already! My mamas are already waiting in the car." deflected a hopeful Vivio.

"Fine, fine. I'll let you off for today." ceded Lutecia-san. "For now."

"Where's Erio?" asked Caro-san, looking around.

I tilted my head to the long couch that was ignored during the whole comedy routine. On it was a napping red head, muttering something about flying manjyus…

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The carriage, I mean the SUV, as the others called it, pulled up alongside a train station. What a train is I have no idea, but there'll be plenty of time to find out later. As Erio-san and the other two girls got off, Nanoha-san pulled out a small gold card from her purse and handed it to Erio-san.

"Don't let the girls get a hold of it or go out of control okay, Erio? Fate and I have a bank account here so we'll be paying for you first. But we fully intend to collect it back from your wages though, so please, try not to repeat what happened the last time."

Erio-san gulped considerably. "Yes mdm! I'll try to hold on as best I can this time."

Fate-san remarked as she watched her boy walk off to join the other two girls. "My poor boy. He's whipped, with two girls no less."

Nanoha-san giggled a little as she settled back alongside Fate-san. "There, there. He's got two cute girls going for him. If that's not luck I don't know what is."

Fate-san chuckled a little. "How about you two? We're going to meet Alisa and Suzuka later at a café later. If you two have no plans, why not tag along for a while. There're always other interesting places at that stretch of town."

The two of us nodded. That's a plan at least. However, something gnawed at the back of my mind, a small detail that I had so glaringly overlooked.

"Vivio, you mean we actually get paid?"

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The SUV was parked and the four of us were walking down a street that had many interesting shops alongside. A particularly charming one caught my eye, one with its door and windows welcomingly open with pleasant-looking customers perusing a wide selection of books displayed. I went over with Vivio and she began translating the titles for me, as well as offering a brief summary, before I even said anything.

"Nanoha! Fate!" a gentle yet excited voice sounded out.

"Suzuka! And Alisa too! It's been too long!" greeted Nanoha-san fondly as the four girls began hugging each other warmly.

"I'll say! You guys should at least give us a call once in a while." began a short haired blonde.

"Alisa! You cut your hair short! It suits you though!" Nanoha-san commented.

"I know. I like it this way too. Where's our favourite niece?"

By this time, Vivio and I had walked up back to the two captains, with a small brown paper bag containing two books I had just acquired.

"Aunt Alisa! Aunt Suzuka! It's been a long time! It's good to see you two again!" began Vivio cheerfully.

"Yes, that's what I've been telling the two lovebirds there. In any case, Vivio! You grew up when I wasn't looking! You've become so pretty now! You're definitely the daughter of those two." continued Alisa-san as she gave Vivio the once-over, before doing it again for good measure.

"Aww… you're just saying that Aunt Alisa." replied the younger blonde modestly.

"Who's the young man there?" noted the Suzuka-san.

Noticing that she was referring to me, I gave a curt little bow and introduced myself.

"Hello. I'm Lazlo En Kuldes. It's a pleasure to meet you acquaintances."

"My! What polite manners! And the name… is he European or something?" continued Suzuka-san demurely.

"No. It's complicated… but he's one of the new members of our team. He's Vivio's partner." Fade-san explained, with an unnecessary but oh so blatant wink.

"Oh!" went Suzuka-san with a knowing smile.

"Hmmm…" went Alisa-san as she closed in onto Vivio and eyed her down like a cat would a mouse caught in a trap.

The said mouse shrunk a little and I could imagine steam coming out from those red ears. I smiled wryly as I made a mental note to try that sometimes.

"Huh?" went our slightly slow captain.

"It's nothing dear," interceded our slightly brighter one. "We'll be chatting with your aunts for a while at the café. Why don't you two take the time and explore the place? Just be at your grandpa's in time for dinner. It is Lazlo's first time here after all, so do try to make it memorable for him okay?"

She paused a little before a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "But not anything too memorable okay? Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Suzuka-san and Alisa-san laughed aloud as Vivio grabbed my arm and stomped off as dramatically as she could. It seemed to be that everyone loved the way the colour red looks on her.

"They look good together." commented Suzuka-san as she watched the two go off.

"Huh?" repeated the brunette.

"Mou! Nanoha! You're still hopeless after so many years." teased Alisa-san playfully.

"But I still love you anyway." added the other blonde as she hooked her arms around her waist.

"Tee-hee."

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"Mou! Why do I keep getting teased like this?" exclaimed Vivio, who incidentally was still hanging on to my arm. Not that I minded of course. I reached my other hand and pinched her cheeks lightly.

"Maybe you're just too adorable when you do your tomato thing."

"Don't you start!" growled the blonde, the cute grrrs actually making her more adorable than before.

"Where to now?" I asked, sparing her for now.

"Hmm… I'll show you one of my favourite places to hang out. The weather is just fine for it."

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Suzuka set her tea cup back onto her saucer with a contemplative look. "I see. It seems that things are pretty bad at the moment doesn't it."

"Yes. But don't worry too much. We're around to keep things under control if things go too crazy" reassured Nanoha.

"But all the same, if there's any help you need, any at all, just let us know okay? Our companies are at your disposal." offered Alisa.

"Thanks. I'll bear that in mind." thanked Fate.

"Now, down to the more important business. Tell me about him. What's he like?" said Alisa as she leaned in closer to Fate.

"Huh?" went Nanoha again as Suzuka followed suit too.

"Well, he's quite a …" began Fate to her captive audience.

"Mou! Don't ignore me! Alisa! Suzuka! Fate!"

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The two of us left the town area towards a small hill. Before me was a picture of tranquillity; a few couples lounging on the benches at the foot, the distant sounds of a fountain somewhere and the gaily laugher of children playing under the watchful eyes of their own matrons. I let myself be led to the single tree at the top of the hill and seated right at its base. The peaceful view was really quite breathtaking from the simplicity of life in front me and the dash of the spring breeze. Vivio sat herself down next to me and leaned her head slightly on my shoulder.

"I like this place. It's very peaceful." she began.

"Yes it is." I agreed.

"I thought you might. That's why I brought you here. You need to relax more."

I smiled.

"You really think of everything. Have I told you how glad I have you around yet?"

"No. Not for today, but tell me anyway."

I felt the weight lift from my shoulder and turned to see what happened. Vivio took out one of the books I bought from the brown paper and promptly plopped herself unto my lap, snuggling in and curling up like a kitten would. I felt affection well up again and I couldn't stop myself from patting her head like one, half anticipating some sort of purr to sneak out of her.

"Come, I'll read you this one. It's a collection of poems, but you can just relax, close your eyes and listen."

I nodded and let myself do as she said. She's probably the only other woman in my life that I'll ever listen to. My eyes closed and my breathing smoothed out further as she read, even though I only caught fleeting parts of it. Something about patting a cat really tends to make you feel sleepy it seems. I haven't felt this light for a long time so I indulged myself a little on my favourite person as I drifted along with the words spoken by my favourite voice.

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"Almost suspended, we are laid asleep

In body, and become a living soul:

While with an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy,

We see into the life of things."

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Author's Notes:

A shorter chapter here. I'm breaking up the vacation theme into a few chapters since I lack the time to write a longer one due to school. This one is still mostly fluff and relationship progression, but I enjoyed writing it to calm a mind wrecked by stuffy old men like Hume, Kant and Popper. A small excerpt from my favourite poem by my favourite poet at the ending, since I think it fits in nicely.

No further references today, so maybe some fashion advice. No, just kidding. But really, Lazlo's attire was inspired by Archer from FSN again. I just liked the idea of the striking maroon coat against a sombre colour. But having said that, I could say the same for Dante from Devil May Cry, so that was really a moot point. Vivio's attire was inspired from one of the fanart of Saber that I had chanced upon sent by one of my email(pen)-pals. Nothing of the hentai quality, but a rather refined, demure look which I liked pretty much. That's all for now.

Next chapter, I'll have Lazlo tell some stories about his past, as well as shine some light on his concerns, emotional baggage and explain some part of his relationship with Luc, which had been hinted in earlier chapters. That's mostly going to be me doing the spinning again, but some of it will be inspired from the Suikoden 3 manga which I had dug out once again. Yes, they have a manga series! But really, the really good parts are the later parts. If I have the time, or if the next chapter doesn't get too long, I'll spin in the part I've envisaged for my secret character as soon as I can. A real-life Suikoden character this time.

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Omake 10: Seishun (More of a side-story, but it's kinda funny anyway.)

(At the café)

N (slams her hands on the table in surprise, shaking the teacups and cutlery): WHAT!?

S: N, you've gotta calm down.

N: But F! What do you mean the two of them are together?

A: Boy. Talk about slow…

N: A! What do you mean!

A: Come on N! Even I could see the love love beam shining from the stars in their eyes, not to mention the cherubs flying around their heads.

N: F! You knew about this all along? Why didn't you tell me?

F: I asked before right? You did say he's a fine boy and your impression on him was good.

N: But now we know he's not a boy! And my V is just 15 going on 16. I can't have my precious girl be taken by a paedophile!

F: N, you do realise that almost everyone is younger than him by at least a century.

N (bolts up from her chair): But! I can't let my V be taken away like that… wait till I see them again! I'll Starlight Breaker him back into the last century!

F (stands up against N and points her finger to N's cake): N! You will do no such thing! V has a good thing going on with him and I don't want you to spoil it. So sit down and finish you mille-feuille

(N sits down to sulk, but slices a piece of the above mentioned cake and into her mouth.)

S: N, it's not a bad thing that V has found someone she loves so early on.

N: But I didn't want our girl growing up so fast. I don't want her to leave us so soon.

A: There, there. Don't feel so bad. We can always look forward to grandchildren now.

(N stands up and get ready to Starlight Breaker L)

S: A! Don't make things worse for N! We all know they'll be responsible adults and…

N: Mou! Yamateh!

F (grins): Adults eh? I vaguely remember someone doing something adult with me when she was 15 too.

N (does an imitation of V while the others snigger): F!!!


	15. Chapter 15

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 14: What Comes Around

_Please let these dreamlike days continue a little longer. Just a little longer._

"With an eye made still by quiet by the power of harmony and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things."

My favourite voice stopped as though to let the insightful phrases sink in. The books of this world held such simple yet hard-hitting truths within their designs, my interest was piqued. I decided inwardly to learn more about this world, its cultures and wisdoms. After all, it's my Vivio's world. But the extended pause got to me and I sneaked an eye open to see an expectant looking young blonde look up at me.

_Oh no. Not those puppy dog eyes again. Must resist…_

"There. It's your turn."

"My turn? You know I can't read the language yet."

"I know, so you can just tell me stories about yourself. You promised to tell anyway, remember?"

"Vivio, you didn't have this planned from the start did you?"

"Mochiron." came the impudent grin.

"Yappari…" came the resigned groan.

"Hey! You speak Japanese?"

"I hang around you guys a lot. My learning rate is rather fast if I do say so myself."

"Don't change the topic! Hiyaku!"

I sighed as she eased back to her kittenish position with a satisfied look. I briefly imagined Fate-san with that mischievous grin saying "you're whipped too."

"Fine. But there're very little happy stories. They're few and far in between despite the long time I've been around."

"It's alright. I just want you to tell me more about yourself. You've been keeping things for yourself too long for it to be healthy."

_That's true. Well, might as well…_

"Well then, once upon a not so distant time, there lived a boy with olive hair. A boy so gentle, kind and pure… a boy with the most striking viridian eyes… yet his is a tragic story right from the onset, one of the biggest regrets of my long life."

I closed my eyes to stay my composure for this. It's going to be hard.

"The name of this story is Luc's."

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I could see how this difficult this was going to be for him. He has barely begun, but his expression looked more like a pitiful old man than the perpetual teenager that he appeared to be. I looked upon him with all the attention I could muster. It was the least I could do to match his extraordinary effort.

"Right from the beginning, he had no say on his own destiny. He was conceived not by natural means, but as a clone. A clone of a man called Hikusaak, a man known as the One Hero to his people, but… that's another story for another day. Luc was created for one purpose; to be the vessel for the True Wind Rune. One of two intended to be the Holy Twins."

I stifled my involuntary gasp as best I could. The stigma of being a clone never left me despite all these years, but I wasn't about to spoil this moment for Lazlo… like he said, mine's a story for another day as well. He continued.

"But Luc was different from his brother Sasarai. He was born "defective". Somewhere along the process, the True Wind became intertwined with his heart; his real heart, as well as that which made his consciousness distinct. My Matron explained later that this means that the True Rune will eventually consume his heart directly, as the consciousness of the True Rune is infinitely stronger than a human's. He will eventually be swallowed up by the rune and become a… monster. The priests responsible for this declared him as an ill portent, an ominous sign and a failure. So they decided to lock him deep within the deepest levels of a crystal tower, planning keep him only for as long as it took to raise another vessel to take his place."

This time my gasp escaped. This was going to be as hard for me as it was for him.

"It still disgusts me how humans can be so… sorry… anyway, when I heard of this from my Matron, the blind seer Leknaat, I took off straight away without even her asking. That in itself says a lot, but I was determined to do everything it took to get him out."

"Why…" I wanted to know, more so for my own reasons than anything else.

"Because he and I are far too similar, an unwilling puppet in a game between higher powers. That and I believe all life deserves a chance to live. Even an unnatural life deserves the same. Perhaps it's because there's no life more unnatural than my own. Perhaps I wanted to validate my own life. Who knows? Irregardless of this, I put everything on the line, my humanity, my emotions, and my justice."

I nodded. My heart was comforted by his answer, yet a deep sadness pervaded at how much loss he must have endured.

"To achieve this, I played the part of a traitor in one of the wars that this country was in, in order to gain their trust and a position of power. The enemy was a bunch of really good people, very much like your friends and family. I liked them very much, I almost treated them as true friends so many times that I had to halt myself repeatedly. But in their most dire moment of need, I betrayed them. For the sake of my obsession, I even took the eye of a friend. I'm the worst. This is my first sin in this story. It was then that my belief in my own humanity started to slip."

I didn't know what to think, so I just looked on.

"But for that little act, I gained that position of power I coveted, the rank of a bishop. But it wasn't enough. In order to access that crystal tower, I needed even more power. So I set off to gain it. I followed orders to the last letter and became a ruthless weapon. I wiped out three hamlets within the space of a day, something unheard of even to them. Hamlets. Enemies deemed so only by the higher ups, but ones I slew without hesitation. I could not afford to be seen as weak. This is my second sin, but one that seems hardly worthy of mention anymore."

He raised his left hand and a swirling mass of red and black glowed fiercely for a moment. He smiled an empty smile without any cheer in it.

"They're still in there. Ironic isn't it? For the bearer of Punishment to carry his sins as the source of his power?"

"But…" I started hesitantly, wanting to phrase my words carefully. "-couldn't you just charge right into the crystal tower? I mean, you're the strongest mage around right?"

His empty smile filled with sadness as he gave me an apologetic look. I decided I hated this look of his right now.

"It's like you said. One man can't change the world. There were two other True Runes within, four in total if you count the twins. I'm sorry for not being strong enough to do that too. I'm sorry for being weak too. But somehow, I doubt that counts as an excuse for them."

I nodded again, letting him continue.

"Anyway, I got what I wanted. "For acts of skill and valour in the eradication of the criminals of Harmonia, and excellence beyond compare" they said. (He laughed self-depreciatively.) I became one of the five Archbishops, the second most powerful authority, just beneath Hikusaak and the council. They even threw a procession in the streets as my troops marched home, completely unscathed. Humans. I couldn't stand it for much longer, so during the night of the first banquet, the first of a month long celebration, I broke into the deepest reaches of the tower. I found him and fled the place as quickly as possible, killing anyone who stood in my way. Finally he was free."

I started to smile as I expected to see cheer back on his face, but he remained as pensive as ever. In fact, he looked worse than before.

"Free, I thought. But the Fates are never that generous. Well, I suppose we did have a moment of reprieve. He was welcomed into Magician's Isle by Matron herself and became part of the island really quickly. He excelled in his studies and was kind and gentle to almost everyone. Matron even took it upon herself to tutor the boy in divination and lore, some of the most sought after lessons even by those on the island. I taught him magic and philosophy, even though I wasn't the best person for the latter. Apparently he became attached to me and really couldn't care less as long as he we could build castles in the air together. He was the pride of my life for close to a good fifty years."

He finally smiled a little for the first time since he started. Perhaps there were some happy memories after all. But the smile faded as well.

"But perhaps Matron and I taught him too well. As his magical and divination abilities increased, as did his experience from participating in several great wars, so did the strength of the rune. It began to show him the visions that I had dreaded it would. It was too soon. He was still so tender, gentle and kind. He wasn't ready to lose his humanity like I had."

"Why? What did he see?" I asked. I realised than just how awed I was about the surreality of his tale, so much so that I was mortified. He hesitated a little, before replying.

"The world of void." He muttered reluctantly.

"What is that?"

"It is the ashen future. The final eventuality. The True Rune showed him the end of the world. A world of absolute silence. A world of absolute stillness. A world without life. He saw the world crumble back to its origins. The state before the Sword and the Shield. The world of absolute darkness."

"The end…" I repeated blankly, unable to register anything than disbelief.

"Yes. Well, you can only believe it if you see it for yourself. But that's not a something humans should see in the first place."

I nodded again, playing the attentive audience. The way he used "humans" distinct from himself was mildly disturbing as well.

"In any case, Luc wasn't ready to let the world die. Even if the end is an eventuality from the beginning, he couldn't bear that thought. He was that kind. Even though we had eternity, he would concern himself with the lesser lives of others. We had discussions and arguments afterwards about the topic and we came to a conclusion. A conclusion that I had always knew but didn't want to believe. A conclusion that should have been better left unfound."

"What was it?"

"The source of the troubles… is the True Runes themselves."

"What?" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes. The very things that govern all forces in the world and make life possible. Or rather, it's the runes' sentience. You see, the True Runes were borne from conflict, conflict is in their nature. Just like how Fire opposes Water, Order opposes Chaos, different forces are always in conflict with each other and seek to gain an upper hand against their opposition. All the great wars that we have been in, all which necessitated our intervention involved True Runes. The True Runes themselves will push its bearer to manifest more of itself upon the world, thus leading the world into the wars. It's not the fault of humans alone, but instigated by the higher powers known as the True Runes. That battle with Yuber is a good example of this. While he acts on behalf of his rune, I who have certain control over mine am forced to react. The runes will try all types of machination to get its bearer to manifest its powers. That's how the great wars have worked all this while."

I realised I was trembling slightly as the brunt of this knowledge seeped into me.

"And so came the inevitable conclusion. The only way to prevent this future… is to destroy the True Runes themselves."

"What? But you told Signum…" I started.

"Yes, What I told Signum-san is true. Destroying the True Rune is akin to destroying the world. We couldn't know for sure since it has never been done, but from the release of energy and the destruction of the force itself, that is a highly possible result."

"But then…"

"But then, doing so will result in a new imbalance from the release of energy and the void created by the vacating force. The world will be forced to rebalance itself, recalibrate itself to suit the new conditions. Life will go on eventually, and the ashen future will be averted as now the world would be assigned a new beginning and a new eventuality will be created. In theory. In short, we will be banking everything on a blind shot in the dark. Not to mention the amount of lives that will be lost in the process."

"But…" I could see the logic in that, and it frightens me.

"I know. It's either the world at present or the world of the future. Which one should we save? The lives of millions of people who would die when a True Rune is destroyed, or the lives of everyone eventually? I really couldn't have cared less. I had accepted the end as an eventuality and was content to live as best I could till then, although I'm guilty of not doing that too. But Luc… he was too kind. He decided to shoulder the weight of the world and decided to destroy a True Rune. His own True Rune. To atone for the sin of the many lives he will take, he willingly chose this fate as well. To save the world, he sullied himself killing with abandon. A noble and savage cause. He had more reason for it than I did. But in the end, he failed. The Great War he instigated was resolved by the Stars of Destiny who participated. The great many he killed died for no reason. His sins became unresolved. He became a madman for posterity. And all I did was stand aside and watched. This is my third and greatest sin as well as regret, one that I willing carry on his behalf as well."

"But it's not your fault. There was no choice." I defended.

"Is it? Did I really have no choice? The first lesson Matron taught me was that we set our own destinies into motion by our own actions. I could have chosen not to save him when he was a child. The millions who had died as a result of our actions would have lived. I could have chosen to stop him before he started the war, or joined him to make sure he succeeded. The end would have been different. There would have been more reason for the people who were sacrificed. But I didn't do anything. It's not that I didn't have a choice; it's just that I didn't want to choose. I just watched. I let him die. I…"

I couldn't stand watching him kill himself slowly on the inside anymore. I turned and punched him as hard as I could in the gut.

"Baka! I'm telling you it's not your fault! If your logic is true, then it is as much of his own choice as well. You can't be responsible for everything! You're overthinking things! That makes you a baka in reverse!" I was surprised to hear my own voice quaking and my eyes tearing.

"Vivio, you're crying… I'm sorry, I was only thinking of how hard it was going to be for myself, I didn't realise the effect it would have on you." He started, as moisture gathered and threatened to fall as well. Somehow I didn't think it was from my hefty hit too.

"I'm fine," as I said as I rubbed the stubborn tears away. "But you have to realise that we can't know in advance how everything will turn out, even if you have the powers of divination. That's why the best and only thing we can do is to do what we think is right."

He looked a bit stunned. I wasn't so sure how to take it until a more familiar wry smile surfaced at last.

"You really keep surprising me Vivio. Matron told me the same thing, but you made it much more clearer. Perhaps in my eternity, I've forgotten how to live a fuller finite one. Thank you, Vivio."

I was content just to smile back as best I could, as I could tell I was feeding his own as well. But a question appeared from the back of my mind.

"Can you see the ashen future as well?"

He looked a little apprehensive, but it disappeared quickly. He was just thinking this time.

"Sometimes. But it doesn't bother me so much anymore."

"Because you've accepted it as an eventuality?" I asked, mirroring his own words.

"Hmm… that, and I'm going to live as best I can till then. Really, I think things can't get any better than this anymore."

I nodded once again, more cheerfully this time. But then his smile got a bit devious…

"But then again, maybe it can. For example, I can stop your crying first."

"Huh? You don't hav…" my words got caught in my throat as I saw him lean down, closing the distance between us. I felt my cheeks catch fire as I imagined how red I must be at the moment. But it oddly calmed my trembling down as it spread a welcome warmth throughout my body. I closed my eyes.

I let out a little gasp at the contact but it wasn't where I had expected. He had kissed one of my eyelids, as though kissing away the tears that were there previously. It felt a little let down, but the gentle gesture warmed my heart as well.

"There. All better. Hmm… you look disappointed. My my, what were you expecting Vivio?" he added in that suspicious tone of his again.

I could feel a blush appear above my already red face. I can't help thinking, _Was I that obvious_? However, I wasn't going to let the moment slip away, or let him win this one so easily. _Two can play at this game. _I reached a hand up to his head and pulled him down unto me. The last thing I saw and heard before my mind shut down was his very own red tinge and a half-breathed version of my name.

"Viv…"

_Hmmm… slightly salty, bitter and with a hint of sweet. The taste of tears. But I'm sure I'll only get sweeter from here on._

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Lazlo's left hand glowed black and scarlet on its own for a brief moment that went missed by its owner, who was currently… busy at the moment, and the glow congealed into a small sphere. Its colours gradually turned lighter and the orb dissolved and shed its old form as a white spark appeared in its place. The spark hovered around for a moment, as though observing the busy couple for a moment before entering the rune once more.

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The two of us got down from the hill eventually as the light faded. Things had gotten late before we knew it and so we made our way directly to Nanoha-san's family house hoping to be on time. Along the way, I gave a little chuckle as I thought of Nanoha-san for a moment.

"What is it? You're doing that suspicious thing again." asked the blonde who's currently hanging on my arm.

"I was just hoping Nanoha-san won't Starlight Breaker me too badly."

"She won't. I won't let her. Besides, I think you'll win hands down." she replied carelessly.

"I can't do that. She's your mother." I reasoned seriously.

Her hands tightened slightly.

"Have I mentioned how glad I am that that you're **mine** now?"

I had to smile to that as I repeated her previous answer.

"No. Not for today, but tell me anyway."

As we turned a corner, I suddenly felt a shiver as I detected an incredible killing intent permeating from somewhere behind me. Without looking back, I could tell what happened. Well, you didn't need to be blind seer to see that.

"Vivio, dash!"

"Huh? What the…"

"Quickly, we need to get out of range of the Starlight Breaker!"

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Thanks to that little episode, we arrived at the Takamichi's family residence ahead of time. Vivio announced our arrival happily as we entered the interior of the traditional looking house. I must have pretty distracted today, and for good a reason if I might add, but I felt my rune resonate a familiar feeling. I went back into my serious mode and felt for Yukishiro as Vivio led me into the commons. There sat several other people whom Vivio greeted warmly with hugs and "no time no sees", but my attention was focused on a man with slightly greying hair who was clutching his head as though in pain somewhat.

I walked towards him and materialised Yukishiro in nodachi form, pointing it in front of him.

"Lazlo! Grandpa! Wha…" cried out Vivio in panic.

"Shiro!" cried out an older woman who just entered the commons.

The man in question looked up, wincing from the throbbing in his head as I stared him down with steel in my eyes.

"Your form and appearance may have changed, but I can recognise that rune of yours anywhere. Long time no see isn't it? Hikusaak."

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Author's Notes:

This chapter is rather Luc-centric. Well, it's because I intend for him to play a part later in the story, so I thought I'ld introduce his backstory here, together with my spin on how he's related to Lazlo. Of course, a lot of my inspiration for this part is the Suikoden3 manga, so I'll acknowledge it as such. Well, if you need more reason, it's because he's my favourite character. For a series where there are possibly one too many characters and a general blandness, he stands out as the tragic hero. He's also a good foil to examine the emotional baggage I intended to give Lazlo to begin with.

And well, Vivio and Lazlo are officially together if any one is as dense as my brunette captain to have no noticed by now. Well, even she noticed by now actually, so there. I hope the progression of it wasn't too badly paced. It's always difficult to tell with romances. It's hard to validate and explain how it works, but it either works or it doesn't. Food for thought I'm sure.

I feel bad for the Nanoha fans. I've made her a little more goofy so as to liven the script, but it's possible no? After all, dense and fluffy characters are well-liked. Fate's more devious than she appears to in my characterization. Well, if you want more formal reasoning, the two of them are kinda like a secondary foil for Lazlo and Vivio. Fate obviously takes after Lazlo and Vivio's a lot like Nanoha, but with more common sense from Fate. Even if they're not related by blood, the power of socialisation is incredible I wager.

And for the trailer to next chapter… well, the last part of this chapter makes it quite obvious doesn't it. Kinda explains why a nine year old can have such monstrous magic. Think Luc and Sasarai. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and please review. That's the only way I'll know what you guys like as well as to better the next chapters. Oh, and if anyone wants to volunteer as my beta audience or something, please indicate so. I have a habit of going out of point sometimes.

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Omake 11: Rescue

(On a certain street nearing the Takamichi family residence)

F: Wow, we really stayed at the café the whole day didn't we? We were starting to get weird looks from the staff.

N (pouts): Mou. That's because you guys kept laughing at my expense.

F: It can't be helped. You're just too cute N.

N (cuts off before she finishes as she stops walking): F, don't you star…

F (still walking ahead): Well, it's true. S and A says so too, so you've better believ…

(F notices an incredible killing intent behind her and that N isn't beside her.)

F: N… what are you…

(F notices follows the N's line of sight to see V hanging on the arm of L intimately.)

F: Oh bother.

(N starts stomping off in front but has her arm pulled back by F and whirled around till F traps her between herself and a building.)

N: F! Don't stop me! I'm going to Starlight Breaker him till…

(F cuts her off by capturing her lips.)

F (in a silent prayer): Go you two. I'll hold her back as long as I can. Run free!

N (after seeing the two dash off takes tries to say.): F, they're already gone…

F (mumbles into the kiss): uhmm…


	16. Chapter 16

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 15: Circle

_It's him. The Circle Rune is unmistakable. The One Hero. The one man who is the source of so many deaths, miseries and conflicts. In the name of Order, or is the Circle Rune's design, or was it his own desire. Was it his choice, his destiny or was it the Fates hand once again? As much as I can't bring myself to forgive him, I really am in no position to judge him. After all, I've done worst things for lesser reasons, and even I know we can't fight Fate, no matter how strong we are. _

The temperature of the room dropped several degrees from the force of my stare alone. I haven't found so much animosity in me since I arrived in this world. Yuber was pretty annoying too, but that's more because he had hurt my precious Vivio and was being a maniacal jerk in general. But this man, I can safely say I hate from my very core, every fabric of my being desired nothing less than to cut him down in cold blood. I growled with barely contained rage as I addressed the confused looks of incredulity around.

"Do you know who this man is?"

Vivio came over hurriedly and plomped herself onto my arm, trying to calm by rage-filled countenance. I could tell she's more afraid than ever before, but I couldn't bring myself to relax my arm completely despite my concern of her proximity to my blade and my reluctance to make her any unhappier than I already had.

"Please Lazlo! He's my grandpa. Nanoha-mama's dad. Takamichi Shiro-san."

I shook my head deliberately. They knew nothing after all.

"You don't know him as I do. He isn't a common man by far. He is the "One Hero", the one man at the root of innumerable wars, deaths and miseries, as well as the one directly responsible for the tragedy of my beloved pupil. The single largest source of conflict in my world, an irony considering he bears the Rune that governs Order. The one man at the heart of an obsession known as Harmonia."

At this point, Nanoha-san entered the room but froze upon seeing the terse standoff and, this time, feeling my unmistakable intent to kill.

"Lazlo! What are you…" she started in confusion as her shopping bags fell to the floor, but I paid her no heed as I reintroduced them to their patriarch.

"This man is from my world. Like me, he is the bearer of a True Rune, the Circle Rune. His name…"

My voice hissed with malice at the very mention of his name which contrasted the deceptively harmless guise he had assumed in this life.

"… is Hikusaak."

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I let out a gasp as I recognised the name Hikusaak

_No… Not the person__ Luc was supposed to be cloned after, the one person in charge of that sick and cruel country… but it can't be. Not the kind man before us…_

"I… I don't know what you're talking about… you… look familiar though." began grandpa as though in pain from the act of remembering.

"Not surprising. I've only knelt once before you. Once and only once, but I doubt you'll treat the memory with as much revulsion as myself." a cold voice continued.

"No… you're that Arch…"

"That was my ascension you saw. You must have dreams, don't you? More of nightmares really. Where you appear as someone other than yourself? What have you seen so far? Have you seen yourself giving the order to invade all countries that reject your invitation, to join your vision of Order that is Harmonia? Have you seen yourself discussing with the scholars of Crystal Valley how to clone yourself so as to leave a legacy of your own likeness after your passing? Or have you seen yourself giving the order to burn three hamlets just as a show of might, as a warning? Tell me, what have you seen? Did you marvel or revile at the evil and cruelty in any of them?"

Grandpa tightened his hold of his forehead and winced even further, his face contorted in pain through the force of his words alone.

"Lazlo! Stop! That's an order!" cried out Nanoha-san as she ran over to support Grandpa.

I looked up pleadingly at him, hoping for him to take a little more steam from him.

"Lazlo, please…"

"No wait…" added Grandpa as he held a hand up. "How did you know…?"

_No… it can't be true…_

"This isn't the first time you have transmigrated. You were an immortal long before I was, but your mode of immortality differed. You were not granted escape from the circle of life and death, but an endless cycle of death and rebirth. You retained your powers and memory from each cycle, but they would have to be awakened before you can possess them in their entirety. But…"

My eyes widened as I noticed the now familiar black and scarlet glow that was swirling around his left hand which formed a sphere and illuminated the room with an eerie light, casting odd shadows around everyone.

"… with that, it also means that death is no longer an acceptable mode of atonement for you. Take a look for yourself, the depth of your sins."

With that, the shadows around the room lifted themselves off the floor and surrounded their respective owners. Everyone was startled by it and winced, but nothing happened to, other than a general sense of disorientation and nausea, although Fate-mama had her hand on her head as though a little worse of than the rest of us.

A loud scream of pain cried out which shook the rest of us from the daze. I turned to see Grandpa clutching his head and screaming with agony as he was engulfed in an intense cloud of black shadows, the size of which filled up more than half the room even with its non-solidity. The form of an elliptical ring can be seen glowing with a bluish white light on his forehead. Grandma and Aunt Miyuki rushed over to his side to join Nanoha-mama in holding him, trying to lessen his pain as best then can. Uncle Kyoya looked ready to go at it with Lazlo but he suddenly stopped, his expression stunned and confused.

I turned to look at Lazlo to find that he too had collapsed to one knee, his face contorted in pain as well, yet with an intense glint in his eyes. He stubbornly held his hand in a fist, maintaining that glow that was obviously doing as much damage to himself as Grandpa, maintaining that torturous darkness that he had every control over to begin with, maintaining his own punishment. I gasped and rushed over to him. In my confusion over the whole thing, I had forgotten that he had no one to support him, not from this world or his own. I reached for his left hand, trying to coax him to unclench it. His eyes widened and tried to move away, but I took his hand stubbornly just as his darkness engulfed me as well. I yelped in pain as the force and intensity of the pain far outweighed any I had experienced before, and held on to him with all my strength.

_Is this what he has been living with for so many years? No… this is too much… too cruel… Lazlo…_

It was then that he finally relented his grip on his left hand, opting instead to hold me. I hadn't noticed, but I had fallen to a prone position. I was amazed at how he managed to maintain his composure throughout the whole thing despite the obvious strain, as well as being secretly happy at how he chose me over hurting himself and others, however conceited that may sound. That's when he whispered between pants.

"You're a baka too you know."

"Nyah."

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I let myself enjoy the warmth of Lazlo's heaving body for a little while before I tried to pull myself off the ground. I was a little woozy, but I felt myself steadied by my love. I gave him a little smile before we walked over to Grandpa, who was still panting heavily and looking more than a little worse for wear.

"Have you discerned for yourself the depth of your sins?" he spoke with remarkable calm.

Everyone else was speechless as Grandpa answered. "Yes… I've always felt this unease and discomfort since I was young, but I couldn't identify what it was then. So it was the weight of my unresolved sins from another life… I feel oddly lighter now though…"

"But why… " began Nanoha-mama, asking the question that was on everyone else's confused faces.

I felt a little smug and tightened my hold on his arms upon realising something.

_I understood. I understand why he did it. I'm beginning to understand him._

"As much as I hate you, as much as I want to kill you, I'm in no position to judge you either. I've done my share of sins as well. This is one of the curses involved with an eternal life. Besides, killing you has no meaning since you'll just pop up somewhere else again. So I chose to punish myself along with you. Punishment is one of the few ways to atone for your sins, to seek forgiveness. I was able to resolve some of my hatred for you that way myself, but don't expect me to forgive you entirely either."

With help from Nanoha-mama and my other family members, Grandpa managed to get on his feet, although he was still a little shaky.

"I see. How should I resolve the rest of my sins then?"

He arched an eyebrow.

"Why are you asking me that for?"

"You're the bearer of Punishment no? You of all people should have some idea." Grandpa replied with a polite smile.

"So you've managed to regain some of your memories then. In any case, those you have sinned against are no longer around to punish you. That mode of atonement, along with death is no longer available for you. My suggestion is to atone through life and deed, as well to stay your hand from further sin. This might be a much more tedious and painful process than that which I had just dispensed on you, especially considering our eternities."

"I see…" said Grandpa contemplatively.

An awkward silence befell the rest of us as the tension began to let up. Eventually, it was Grandma who broke the silence.

"If everything's settled now, how about we get dinner going? It's going to get cold at this rate."

Lacking any real reason to object, everyone nodded slightly and started to mill towards the dining room, although Uncle Kyoya and Nanoha-mama were still watching Lazlo who was walking alongside Grandpa from the corner of their eyes. However, the tension seemed to have left completely by the time we were seated at the table. Well, perhaps not completely as Grandpa gave a wry smile.

"So I see you're dating my granddaughter eh?"

My eyebrow twitched along with Lazlo's as we heard a chopstick snap in two.

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Apart from the little incident with the said chopstick, which was promptly replaced, dinner was a fairly normal affair. Well, as normal as it would be with my family I guess. Nanoha-mama was still alternating between staring daggers at Lazlo and clearing whatever Fate-mama had placed on her plate. However, I was a little worried at how pensive Fate-mama's face was, recalling her greater discomfort earlier.

"Fate-mama, what's the matter? Are you still feeling bad from earlier?"

Lazlo looked towards her with an apologetic look too.

"No, no. I was just thinking of something." replied my blonde mama.

"What is it Fate?" I smiled as I saw Nanoha-mama go back to normal at the faintest mention of Fate-mama feeling unwell.

"It's not that Nanoha. But Shiro-san has a True Rune."

I went "Oh…" as I recognised the implication.

"Huh? Is that a problem?" asked Grandpa.

"Yuber." answered Lazlo in a single word.

"Ah, I see." nodded Grandpa. I was surprised that he remembered that demon as well.

"You're right Fate. This is a problem… if we leave Otto-san on Earth, that demon might just come after him, and the fact that Otto-san hasn't regained his powers will be a problem…"

The others around the table, except Lazlo who was fascinated by the shrimp tempura, looked at Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama in concern, as even without knowing the exact situation, they realised that Grandpa was in considerable danger.

I had an idea.

"Nanoha-mama, Fate-mama? Why don't we bring Grandpa back with us? We can protect him ourselves."

Everyone looked at me. Well, almost everyone. Lazlo was still chewing with his whole attention.

"Well, it's not going to be easy. As you know, Mid Childa has very strict rules on immigration from non-TSAB planets, even for a short term pass. It might take along time to settle the paper work, not to mention we have to find a valid excuse." Nanoha-mama thought out loud.

"Lazlo, how long do you think it'll be before Yuber starts moving again?" asked Fate-mama hopefully.

I sniggered a little inwardly at how Lazlo was still trying to act indifferent.

_He's still a boy in some aspects despite his age; so dishonest with himself._

"I disintegrated half his body. It should take him some time to get over that, even if he's a demon. I'll give it half to a whole year at least."

I brought my hands together as I chipped in. "So we have enough time to clear the paper work for at least a short-term pass?"

"Yes, we would." agreed Fate-mama. "But I was thinking of something longer term. Like a work permit."

"Huh?" went Nanoha-mama, looking puzzled.

"You need to form a new team of Forwards right? Well, why not?" explained Fate-mama matter-of-factly.

"Fate! I can't ask my Otto-san to fight in my unit! It's too dangerous!" exclaimed

Nanoha-mama.

"So it's okay if you risked your life instead? I hope you're not thinking that because I'm a little older now." countered Grandpa with a hurt expression.

"No… I mean yes… I mean… Ah mou! I meant even if he joined us, he wouldn't have the time to train or prepare as much as the other Forward teams. We'll also have to start him on magic and …"

I pulled on Lazlo's arm to get him to help out, which he did with a sigh.

"Nanoha-san. Where do you think you got your amazing magic potential from? He is a rune bearer after all and has been immortal longer than I have. Even as a reincarnation, he'll be plenty strong if he regains just ten percent of his powers."

Everyone nodded as the riddle of Nanoha-mama's monstrous magic capacity was solved a little anti-climatically. I leaned over and whispered over to him.

"So who's stronger, you or him?"

He replied with that familiar smile of his.

"Want to find out?"

I shook my head quickly and settled back into place. I could do without another ultimate battle between two superpowers for a long time. By this time, Nanoha-mama finally relented.

"Fine then. I'll try with the paperwork. If that goes through, then we'll see what happens then."

This time, Uncle Kyoya spoke out. "Count me in then."

Aunt Miyuki added hurriedly. "Me too!"

"What!?" exclaimed Nanoha-mama, standing straight up this time.

"We're siblings, so we should have the same talent in magic you do. Even without, we're still pretty good with swords. Most importantly, we're not going to stand by and do nothing when Otto-san is in danger." reasoned Uncle Kyoya.

"Yaya! Besides I've always wanted to visit the place where my little sister spends so much time at. It's killing two birds with one stone." added Aunt Miyuki helpfully.

Nanoha-mama slumped forward and groaned while Fate-mama rubbed her back.

"Great… more paperwork."

Grandma, who had been silent throughout the whole discussion stood up cheerfully and said something that surprised everyone.

"Great! So when are we leaving?"

"Erm… Momoko?" began Grandpa hesitantly.

"You guys weren't thinking of leaving me behind were you? All alone in this big house and Midoriya?" she said as she looked down and clasped her hands gently.

_Oh boy. Here it comes, the founder of the Hisatsu Takamichi Puppy Eyes._

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After dinner, while the others lounged around asking general questions on what to pack or the actual situation in general, I managed to pull Nanoha-mama to the garden outside so we could have a little talk.

"Nanoha-mama. I wanna ask you something." I started, not too sure how to phrase what I needed to say.

"What is it sweetie?" she replied with concern.

"Do you dislike Lazlo…?" the question came out awkwardly.

"… no… not really… but I'm just not ready for you to go off with someone yet… you're still just 15 you know…" she finally said after a thoughtful pause.

"I see… but I really like him. Could I please continue to see him, whether we manage to go anywhere with what we have?" I asked hopefully.

She gave me a sad smile and asked, "You seem pretty determined about this. Why do you even bother to ask me then?"

I stepped into her in order to give her a big hug and mumbled in her bosom. "Because you're my mother. I love you just as I love him. I don't want you to be unhappy too."

"All right. If it'll make you happy, that's all that matters. But if he ever makes you cry I'll…"

"Starlight Breaker him into next century?" I giggled. "Fate-mama told me."

The two of us turned and walked back into the lounge, where our other halves were waiting.

"Where have you two been?" asked Fate-mama concernedly.

"Nowhere. By the way, Lazlo?"

"Yes, Nanoha-san?"

"If I ever catch you hurt Vivio or doing anything illegal before she turns 17, I'll Starlight Breaker you all the way into the last century."

Lazlo nodded in agreement, I could see a slight tinge on his face. I admired enviously at how well he can control his expressions and wondered how he does it.

Fate-mama gave a little chuckle. "Nanoha? Is that all that's on your mind?"

I laughed a little as I saw Nanoha-mama turn beet red. "Fate! Jigao!"

Lazlo turned to me. "So that was you?"

I felt steam whistling in my ear as I followed suit. "Lazlo!"

Nanoha-mama and I looked at each other, wondering if we really understood what we got ourselves into.

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Author's Notes:

Another chapter down, and we have Forward 3: Team Takamichi! Oh well, its not really complete yet, since I'm going to add two more members later. Those familiar with Triangle Heart would know that Shiro, Kyoya and Miyuki are all pretty with swords (they do run a dojo), so I thought I would bring them into the fold. Filling up 108 stars is pretty hard, so I'm going to have to work hard in bringing everyone together. So we have 3 possible fighter-mages as combatant stars and Momoko as a support character. Gotta love those support characters. Maybe she'll run a café in Mid Childa. Now that's an idea.

I have added Hikusaak into the mix so as to add another True Rune into the fray, but really, it's just fun to speculate on what Hikusaak is really like. He also acts a foil for Lazlo since they both share enormous baggage from their own lives. My take on how the Circle Rune works is based on some common rumour or speculation from other fan-fictions and forums. Who knows? Maybe Suikoden VI will be about the founding of Harmonia. Wouldn't that be fun?

I let Lazlo get really angry from the start since it's really impossible for him to be a saint and forgive someone just like pressing a magic button. But the last chapter already revealed how much guilt and sin he himself has, so he's aware that he's really in no position to judge. So I added the double-edged punishment event since he does own the rune that governs atonement and forgiveness. My take on this is: Punishment is one of the ways to atone for one's sin. However, atonement is distinct from forgiveness, in that no matter what you do, you will still require the express permission from the someone to gain forgiveness. So Lazlo is actually relieving part of his own frustration and anger, as well as part of Shiro's sins by going through that routine. However, he's still unwilling to forgive him directly, perhaps due to his own insistences or his relation to Luc's death, among other things, so he acts more indifferent then he should really. It's like being bad friends instead of being enemies. That's why Vivio calls him dishonest. Plus it's more fun that way. Lazlo's becoming a really heavy character, and I think it should lighten him a bit.

As for next chapter, I'll probably wrap up the vacation, fast forward some training and settling issues before beginning the foreshadowing of the second crisis of this story. As usual, reviews will be nice.

Oh. Reference. Only one I think. Hisatsu Takamichi Puppy Eyes. I think it translates to "secret killing technique" Takamichi Puppy Eyes. Enuff said.

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Omake 12: Birds of a feather

(In the lounge while N and V were out)

L: F-san. I'd really like to apologise for earlier. I didn't expect it to affect you as much as it did.

F: It's alright L-san. It's just probably due to the fact that I do that too often.

L (nods): I get what you mean. That gets really addictive.

F: You think so too? But I've never really thought of it as a sin.

L: Well, will you let it stop you?

F: Nope. How about you?

L: Nope. It's agreed then; it's a necessary evil.

F: I'm glad we're on the same side though.

L: Oh look, here they come.

F: Best shade of red wins?

L: You're on.


	17. Chapter 17

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 16: Eve

_All things fade with time. Memories fade with time, things once held close dims and becomes forgotten eventually. Feuds fade with time, its edge dulls and the resolve to maintain it isn't worth the effort. Emotions fade with time, its fleeting moment lost in the sea of my eternity. In short, humanity fades with time. The curse of an endless time. That was how it seemed. However, it seems that doesn't have to be. As our lives carry on relentlessly, rediscovery is always a possibility. Something to look forward to perhaps._

The night fell deep and the hour late. As the rest of the Takamichis continued catching up with one another in the commons, I sat on the veranda, away from the crowd, with a young blonde very much attached to me. I smiled as her head bobbed up and down slowly, the sound of her even breathing and the occasional mumble. _She must be tired out,_ I thought. I patted her head fondly, not really wishing to wake her for bed. Just as I was wondering what to do, a cold bottle was offered by an unlikely person.

"An olive branch."

I eyed the bottle as though it was a viper in front of me before receiving it, taking a sip out of it grudgingly. I winced a little.

"A weak one at that."

"I know it's not Kanakan, but it's not meant for serious drinking."

"Not quite all that I was referring to."

He gave a weak smile, of acceptance or resignation, maybe a little of both. He sat down a little distance besides, taking a swig from his own. An oddly comfortable silence ensued as we watched the moonlight to do its ethereal dance atop the mirror of the pond. Apparently some things don't change despite eternity as well. But then the moment was broken.

"What… was he like?"

"Like it really mattered."

"It does. For what it's worth, I'm not the same person I was."

I frowned.

_Perhaps he's right. He is someone who raised Nanoha-san into who she is today after all, and he seems beloved by his family. It's hard to imagine that he's the same person who would put all who resist his call for Order to the sword… perhaps it was the rune after all._

"Too kind. Too gentle. He would still be around if he wasn't."

"I see…"

I detached myself from the dozing blonde as carefully as I could before scooping her up in my arms. I might be immune to colds, but she sure isn't. Just as I was about to leave, he spoke.

"Thank you… for taking care of him…"

I paused a little. Perhaps I'm not as unaffected by fatigue as I thought, or maybe it's the glow from the full moon. For a moment there, I saw sadness within his eyes.

"Not necessary. He was my pride for half a century."

The corners of his mouth pulled upwards slightly, though not quite enough to smile. It seems that he understood. I continued.

"Try not to lose yourself to your rune again. I'll hate to have to kill you."

He nodded his agreement, but kept his head grounded, as though in thought.

I stepped within the welcome warmth of the interior and was about to search for my princess's room before I just remembered something. Without looking back, I spoke just loud enough to be heard by him.

"One last thing," he looked up for a moment.

"When you get back to our world, remember to give Sasarai a vacation."

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_My Vivio is sleeping the lap of someone other than myself… I feel a strange sense of loss. Well…, at least she looks happy enough, so I guess I'll have to let that be. But still, I can't believe her boyfriend almost wanted to kill my dad…and now they're just sitting there, barely even talking to each other. _

"Nanoha, you're being very quiet. What's on your mind?" asked my mom in concern.

"You're not still upset at Lazlo, are you?" added Fate.

"I don't know." I replied honestly. "He raised his sword against Otto-san, and he's going to take away my Vivio…"

"Way to make an impression on the in-laws huh?" mused my Oni-san.

"Oni-san! Don't go around giving them any ideas yet!"

"Nanoha, you have to realise they have a history that we cannot even begin to imagine understanding. It's a wonder that Lazlo has managed to put that aside for our sakes, well, Vivio's mostly but still…" added my Oka-san.

"But Oka-san, you're not even a little upset at Lazlo?" I asked in disbelief.

"Maybe I'm just a little afraid of him, but that's because of his powers. But truth be told, I'm a little impressed by him. Not many people can put aside their hatred for the sake of love, much less trying to get along with their enemies." explained my Oka-san a little overly romantically.

"But…" I know I was being more stubborn than I should, but I couldn't resist.

"Nanoha, would you be able to forgive Scaglietti if you ever met him again? Could you even stand being in the same room as him without wanting to kill him? Honestly, I can't." reasoned Fate.

I hesitated briefly as I saw her point. I never really managed to forgive that man for what he's done; to my Vivio, to my student Subaru and to everyone else he had ever harmed. I looked back at the veranda and decided that I was impressed as well. It would be too much to expect him to be friendly with Otto-san, but the absence of hostility is plenty enough for now.

"Fine… but he's still going to take my Vivio away…" I mumbled. I turned when I heard my mom chuckle.

"Well, Fate took you away too, but you're still here aren't you?"

I felt my cheeks heat up again. "Oka-san!"

After a soft round of laughter, I saw Fate get up with Onee-chan.

"Onee-chan, Fate? Where are you two going?"

"We're going to show those two to their rooms." replied my Onee-chan, tilting her head towards the blonde couple.

"I thought Nanoha would have a fit if we leave it up to them to find their own room, I mean rooms, so we'll just gonna show it to them."

"Fate!"

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The remainder of the vacation passed by pleasantly as the Forwards showed me the sights and sounds of the area, which were fairly amusing I suppose. But rather than visiting something called theme parks or shopping malls, I find myself more drawn to the culture and language of this place, something that earned me the moniker "old man", which earned them a stern stare from my young blonde. However, it seemed like the youngins burned themselves out before this old man did, as by the end of the week, they were all sprawled out around the Nanoha-san's house. When Nanoha-san came home to the sight, all she could say was, "Not again…"

Seeing the rare opportunity to spend some time together, Vivio and I decided to go out for the day, earning a raised eyebrow from Nanoha-san. I could tell she was going to suggest tagging along before Fate-san helpfully distracted Nanoha-san by tugging her into the kitchens. Reminding myself to thank her later, the two of us spent the day strolling around. Somehow we managed to make our way to a shrine atop a small hill where Vivio got for herself a fortune from one of the shrine maidens. I could tell that she had a fortuitous telling or something judging from the way her grin stretched all the way to her ears, but when I asked about it she merely did her tomato thing again. But I'm not complaining; every one of those blushes is a gem just for me in itself.

After a brief stop for lunch, we made for a familiar little hill, the one where we had visited on our first day here. Fortunately, the spot where I had come to think of as our own was unclaimed and we promptly made ourselves comfortable on it, enjoying the breath of spring in the wind. Vivio plomped herself onto my lap again and looked up expectantly once more.

"More stories."

I sighed slightly before pondering on what story to tell.

_She's had to deal with some heavy pasts of mine these few days… I should tell her something less dreary for a change._

"Fine. Would you like me to tell you about some of the people I've known throughout the years? Friends, familiar faces and the like?"

Eager nodding signalled her agreement.

"Then I'll start with someone I admire. Another Runebearer like myself, perhaps one with a more accursed rune than mine. His name is Tir Mcdohl."

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"I met him as I was travelling through Dunan while running an errand for Matron. Luc had told me a little about him, of how he was the Tenkai star for one of the great wars that he participated in. He bears the rune that governs life and death, something also known as the Souleater."

"Souleater… that sounds scary."

"It is. The rune's sentience actually pushes the bearer into situations where he has to take lives, willingly or otherwise, in order to increase its own power. This includes the lives of their loved ones when the bearer refuses to kill any other. It's quite a curse, worse than that of an eternal life."

"… I'm so glad you don't have something like tat…"

"Actually… When I first received my rune, it was in the Atonement phase. Every time I used the rune's powers, it consumed my own life force in exchange."

"What! Lazlo, you can't use that rune anymore!"

"It's alright. My rune has shifted into the Forgiveness phase, and I can access its powers normally most of the time. Well, as long as I don't go overboard with it. Any form of power is hazardous to the health when used to its limit."

"Okay…"

"Well, in order to safeguard the powers of his rune, Tir took to leading a wandering life. Always moving from place to place, while helping whoever needs it. When I last saw him, he was still the cheerful person that Luc had described to me. When I asked him how he gets over the loneliness of his rune and our long lives he replied that he has gotten over the curse some time earlier. But he continued wandering to help everyone in need with his full affection and accepts all the gratitude fondly. That is what I admire about him, the true depth of his strength, one that stems from a strong spirit. He was able to live a fuller life knowing just by believing in his belief that his long life gives him the ability to help people endlessly. Despite all my magic and powers, I pale in comparison."

"Well, I rather you be less great if it means I get to keep you."

"Try not to make me sound like a pet Vivio."

"Nyah."

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"What's a Tenkai star by the way?"

"The Tenkai star, or the Heavenly Lord, is the leader of the 108 Stars of Destiny who are chosen to deal with a large scale crisis, much like this Yuber incident. The other stars will gravitate towards him in one way or another and it is his or her job to gather and lead them towards the resolution."

"I see! So are you the Tenkai star this time?"

"… No. I was a long time ago, when I first received my rune. But I don't think I'm suitable for that role anymore."

"Why not?"

"The Tenkai star is usually someone down to earth, honest and doesn't know of the great destiny in front of him. He gathers people with his kindness, integrity and the strength of his character. He is someone I was, but not who I have become…"

"Lazlo…"

"Don't mind me. I'm not so bothered by that anymore… it's just that I'm a bit worried for this gathering of the stars. The Tenkai star hasn't turned up yet. Without that person, it would be hard to gather the rest of the stars, let alone initiating the resonance of fates that would resolve the incident."

"Fates?"

"Hmm… well, Fate is like the tracks those trains we saw previously travel on, it decides our lives. However, we can choose to stop by a station and switch trains and directions and head towards a destination. That destination is a person's destiny. That's why I believe that while we cannot fight Fate, we can choose our own destiny with our actions and choices. Meanwhile, Fate is like this cosmic force beyond our comprehension, and once the 108 stars gather in their positions, that specific combination of Fates in the right positions will resonate against each other and release the forces necessary to resolve the crisis. I haven't understood how this works myself, but who are we to question the higher order of things."

"Hmm… one last question."

"Yes?"

"Who's this Matron you keep talking about?"

"Oh… Matron… She is a blind seer by the name of Leknaat. She's able to see the future, but is usually unwilling to let on more than what is necessary. She is also known as the Keeper of Balance, and is the leader of Magician's Isle. She usually sends Runekeepers, people like myself who keep the balance, around the world in order to maintain balance in wars that involve True Runes. I call her Matron because she is more than twice my age and… well… takes pretty good care of me, all else considered."

"I see. I would like to meet her sometime."

"No you won't. My advice to you: run like the wind before she asks you to do something. That something is usually tiring and tedious, even when it's supposed to be something like 'take a vacation'."

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After a few more grossly shortened tales about my old friend Snowe and Milia of the Dragon rune, it was close to evening and we decided to call it a day. It seems like the other Forwards had recovered and were busily chowing down all the meals they had missed while they were asleep when we entered the door. I was decidedly amused when Nanoha-san rushed over quickly to Vivio, inspecting her for signs of any "illegal" acts, something that made Vivio blush and try to brush her off inconspicuously.

"Nanoha-mama! Don't embarrass me like that!"

"That's right Nanoha." Fate-san chipped in as she joined in the amusement. "It's not like Lazlo is the careless type."

Nanoha-san looked like she was going to hyperventilate soon.

"We didn't do anything like that today okay!" defended Vivio a little too hastily.

Fate-san raised an eyebrow at me and flashed a suspicious looking smile which I returned.

"Aww… and here I was hoping you two would have kissed by the end of the week." quipped Lutecia-san in disappointment.

"Wait, did she just say today?" added Caro-san with hope and a variety of heart shapes flashing in her eyes. Well, I didn't actually see them, but you could sort of tell they were there.

My Vivio's face burst into flames immediately when she realised her slip-up. Again, I didn't exactly see the flames, but you could still tell they were there. I must be developing a new sixth sense or Agito-san had opted to stay around instead of following her Rein-chan back to base. But that little tip off was all that was needed. The two girls took to her like sharks that smelt blood in the waters and were currently surrounding her with questions. Vivio looked to Fate-san for help, but she was busy patting the hand of a certain brunette who had fainted spontaneously. Out of options, she ran behind me and hid herself as best she could, pressing up against me and earning "awws" from the group. Everyone, other than the above-mentioned brunette and my shortish blonde, raised an upward thumb simultaneously. Lacking anything better to do, I followed suit, earning a hard slap to my shoulder from behind.

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Before too long, the short vacation had officially ended. Nanoha-san had eventually come to terms with the latest revelation somehow, other than the occasional glaring when either Fate-san or Vivio wasn't looking, while the other three forwards were carrying large bags of what I assume to be senbei and manjyus, amidst other assorted stuff. I glanced at the small travelling bag which I had purchased, realising that I only really bought quite a few books, some tapes and a few presents for Fate-san in preparation for future favours. The Takamichis, along with Alisa-san and Suzuka-san came along to our departure point to say their farewells. While the goodbyes were generally directed at everyone, Hikusaak… I mean Shiro-san did come up to me specifically and extended a hand.

"Sayonara. I'll see you soon though."

I accepted the hand.

"Better. Mata Ou."

I still wasn't on friendly enough terms to actually smile to him, but a handshake was still acceptable. Afterwards, Vivio came up to me and asked me a question out of curiosity.

"Lazlo, since when did you learn how to speak Japanese?"

"I've been listening to some language tapes before and during my sleep. After learning an impossible language like Sindar, I figured I try my hand with some other languages, although it's still rather rudimentary beyond greetings like 'Hello', 'Ni Hao', 'Bonjour', 'Ahnyeong Hase Yo', 'Guten Tag', 'Zdravstvuite'…"

Generic sweat-dropping occurred. Erio-san brought a hand up to his forehead before shaking his head.

"Seven languages at once…and Russian and Korean too… not again…"

A sheepish looking Vivio broke the awkward silence. "Heheh… Sorry… I'm still working on that."

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Upon returning to base, I had sent the True Wind to Saint Church for safekeeping, seeing that they had a special vault that allows its contents to escape detection. We eventually settled back into our usual routine of combat and magic training. That last battle with Yuber had highlighted the level of power that we were going up against, so everyone was eager to improve on their abilities. I was suitably impressed by the Forwards' battle with Yuber before I arrived. Even though I doubt Yuber was fighting seriously, they actually managed to take him down decisively at one point. Based on their performance during the battle, I altered their training slightly. I saw potential in Erio-san with regards to magically-charged attacks, so I edited a few Belkan circuits that would keep the magically damage focused and concentrated instead of a mere expansion of power like that Thunder Rage UE he used. That should mediate the energy drain effect on him. With regards to Lutecia-san, we worked on her high-speed shooting, hoping that she would eventually be able to shoot while in the light form of her Sonic Move. I was really impressed with Caro-san's innovative use of the Gigan Barrier, so I decided to work on that, trying to raise the speed and number of mini-shields that she could control. I also edited the design of the circuit to enable part of the built up energy to be discharged as energy shots, thereby enabling her to make use of excess energy for offence as well. For Agito-san, her job is simply to unison with everyone during their training periodically in order to get used to their new moves and skills, thereby increasing her effectiveness when unisoned. With regards to Vivio, I decided to teach her how to handle runes as well as the rune-hybrid system. After all, she was the one person I trust more than anyone. Not to mention I get to spend more time training with her. Progress was good since with three teams around, response requests were rotated, leaving training relatively undisturbed.

The rest of the Takamichis joined us at the base three months from the time we departed from Earth. Apparently, Admiral Leti and Griffith-san had pulled some strings to get the papers processed as soon as possible, thereby allowing them to move to Mid Childa more than half a year sooner than the usual practice due to them being from a non-TSAB world. The arrangements looked suspiciously smooth-sailing though, as even Momoko-san had managed to receive an offer to run a small café in the town area just off the base that had just opened. While I was wondering about this fortunate coincidence, Nanoha-san brought back two other members that would complete her squad.

"Alia-san, Lotte-san! Long time no see!" greeted Fate-san who had just brought her own squad out to train.

"It sure has been Fate-san. We'll only be joining your unit for a short-term basis, but we hope we will be of help."

Looking at the confused looks on the two teams of Forwards, Nanoha-san explained.

"The Lieze Twins were actually instructor class members of the TSAB quite some time ago, but they resigned to accompany their master Graham-san when he retired from the force. However, they have offered to help out upon hearing the prophesized crisis, and so here they are."

"So this Graham-san is the same mysterious shareholder of Momoko's café?" Shiro-san queried.

The Lieze twins nodded simultaneously.

"Master was really concerned when Admiral Lindy and Hayate-chan brought it up by accident one day, so he decided to help out as best he could. That café didn't really cost much, but he expects it to be a good investment too, so you don't have to thank us excessively."

Appreciative nods were given. After introductions were over, the teams went forward with their planned training schedules. Including two instructor class members was a good strategy for Forwards 3 since they needed basic magic training. Forwards 2 were concentrating on combination tactics and took to the skies. I suddenly felt a slight shiver down my spine as I noticed how the Wolkenritter were eyeing my squad. I quickly dispersed my team for their individual regimes before any requests were made and made my way towards the HiDEC2 pretending not to notice a certain disappointed pink swordsmen.

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"Lazlo, Signum-san looked a bit disappointed just now. I wonder why…" Vivio began as I swapped out the Fire Rune in her left hand for the more advanced Rage Rune.

"She probably wanted to ask for a rematch against Forwards 1. That's not a bad idea, but I rather have the Forwards concentrate on levelling up a bit more."

"We are pretty strong now you know. We can take them!" declared Vivio proudly.

I smiled as I patted her hand, admiring my handiwork.

"I know. But I want the surprise to be more complete. Won't you like to see their reactions when that happens?"

"Lazlo, do you know you have this fetish with people's reaction?" teased Vivio mischievously.

_You're simply asking for it, my love._

"Fetish is such as strong word. I only feel that way for you, you should know that."

Right on schedule, that shade of red came out again. She tried to hide it by turning around, but I held her hand firmly, slipping on something onto her finger when she wasn't paying attention. A simple platinum ring inset with a red gem.

"Lazlo! Wh-wh-what are you doing?" she exclaimed, half in panic, mostly in surprise.

"It's a Flame Ring. It'll help you control Flame magic and amplify its effect. I found it among the stuff I brought with me when I came here, so I thought you might be able to use it."

She calmed down a little and released her bated breath. She looked a little disappointed though, so I simply leaned in to whisper in her ear, making her shiver.

"What other illegal things were you thinking of Vivio?"

She jumped away, earning a rare chuckle from me. "I did not! I just thought you were proposing…" she slapped a hand over her mouth a bit too late.

Smiling contentedly, I took her into my arms for a simple hug.

"I'm kidding. Part of the reason I gave you the ring is because it's relevant to your training. But mostly, I just realised that I haven't given you any birthday presents during the time I knew you, so I was feeling a bit guilty."

"I… I don't have a birthday… I was born a clone… just like Luc-san…" she surprised me with that revelation. I tightened my arms around her, deepening our embrace.

"Sorry, I didn't know. Sorry for being so thick headed."

Her eyes had a little moisture in it, but not enough to fall.

_She's really strong._

"It's okay. My mamas found me and ever since then, they have been my world. I usually celebrate that day instead of my birthday. Besides, I also have you now, so things are alright. I'm still going to keep the ring though." she explained.

"Of course. I couldn't be happier if you did. When's that day though?"

"March 14th. But I don't think Nanoha-mama would like you to join in our mother-daughter moment on that day though, so why don't we celebrate it a month earlier?" she reasoned, her blush still very evident. The way she's being so blatant about certain things while hoping I wasn't going to notice them was very adorable.

"Oh, so instead of White Day, you want to spend Valentines with me instead eh?"

The blonde gasped and looked away, panicking since I've seen through her ruse. I lifted her chin up slightly and breathed out the words softly against her lips, causing her lips to press together and shudder.

"Valentines it is. Suitable too."

"Lazlo…"

I turned and moved out of the firing cell, smiling evilly as I spoke.

"I knew Fire magic suits you. Your face always catches fire ever so often."

"Lazlo!"

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Meanwhile, deep in some corner of space, a certain half of someone familiar was cursing endlessly while small black particles were slowly drawn and absorbed by him.

"Curse that Island Boy. Trust him to disintegrate my body so thoroughly… it would take some time for me to piece it back. But just how did he elicit so much power out of his rune… No matter, I'll just have to get ready a plan just for him. It seem like he is still only human after all."

He turned his head to look at the pale white planet before him before smirking to his remaining hand.

"Besides, I found a new friend for you to play with."

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The wrapping up of the fluff chapters regarding vacation. Although it would be possible to stretch it out further, I'm rather impatient for things to move forward too. I added in a brief intro of Tir Mcdohl for several reasons. He's a Tenkai star, so he can be used to introduce the concept a little. The Souleater is also too unique a rune to leave out till the end, so I added that in too. And lastly, he's a positive influence on Lazlo for once, so it's useful for bringing him back into an easygoing character.

The Lieze Twins and Gil Graham were also included, mostly for their eventual roles as Stars of Destiny, but they seemed useful too. And then there's the ever present café in the Suikoden series, except it will be manned by Momoko.

Yuber is still recovering, so the start of his revenge will only begin near the end of the next chapter. Apparently regenerating is hard when you're disintegrated. Who knew? But logical no? Anyway, the new rune is going to be important to the plot too, and thus will remain unknown to maintain a sense of suspense for the time being.

A small reference point is Kanakan. It's a country in the Suikoden world famous for their strong and fine wines, as well as fencing. That's all for this chapter, so please look forward to the next chapter. Also, as a well maintained mantra, please review if you wish to see anything specific in the next few chapters. Since my psychic powers aren't very developed yet, I will still need to be told instead of willed to add these things. Later then.

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Omake 13: Lazlo's character tales: Snowe and Milia

(Vivio makes it a point to bother Lazlo for stories once in a while when they're free. Since we'll be zipping in and out of time, we'll use this section to show his introduction of his friends to Vivio.)

(After the story about Tir Mcdohl earlier)

L: Now, I'll tell you about two friends I know. The first is Snow.

V: I know. The person you named your device after.

L: Yes. He was my first best friend, one who had fought both with me and against me at some point of our lives. We did a lot of silly things together while we were young, including always roughing it up Jewel and Paula…

V (she quickly snaps): Who's Jewel and Paula?

L: Oh, they were fellow apprentices at the academy.

V: What are they like?

L: Erm… Paula's an elf, so she's one of my remaining friends who don't bear a True Rune. Jewel was this lean Razril woman whose swordsmanship was even better than mine at the time. But erm… back to Snowe…

V: How much did you like them hmm?

L (sensing danger through his instincts): Erm… Never mind about Snowe… Let's talk about Milia.

V: I was about to ask you who's Milia.

L: Oh, she's the leader of the Dragon Knights of Toran and the bearer of the Dragon Rune. Her rune allows dragons to exist between dimensions, making it possible for them to be summoned, like through Caro-san's dragon summons.

V: How much did you like her hmm?

L (sweatdrops): Anou, she's married and has a 24 year old daughter by the name of Sharon.

V: So who is this Sharon?

L (mumbles): This is going to be a long day…


	18. Chapter 18

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

Chapter 17: Lull

_She's handling the Rage Rune pretty well. I knew she had an affinity with Fire Magic, no matter how absurd my correlation was. Well, at least the connection to the rune is much safer compared to my connection to a True Rune. The new external core energy path which I had adapted from Fate-san's Riot Zanber design seems to reduce the stress forcefully channelling rune magic places on the mage's body, thereby cutting down the recoil effect. The spell selection from the runes seems to override that of the device though, so I guess flexibility will be sacrificed for more power. However…_

"Vivio?"

"Hmm…" answered Vivio through the firing cell absently. She seems to be enjoying the power-upped fire spells a bit too much…

_I forget at times that she's Nanoha-san's girl…_

I looked at the Lieze twins setting the Takamichis on their training routines before continuing.

"How is it that the Lieze twins are able to use magic without a device?"

After setting off another two Blazing walls, she replied.

"They're Graham-san's familiars, so I suppose their bodies are built up partly of magic circuits themselves. Why do you ask?"

I stroked my chin as I contemplated on a few floating possibilities.

"Nothing. I was just thinking whether it would be possible to cast two spells simultaneously if I were to channel magic through another magic circuit in addition to the one in the device."

A few heads were turned in our direction when the sound of a large explosion rang out. Apparently Vivio had moved on to the Explosion spell…

"Well, that would be pretty tough. Some of the mages I know who can cast spells without devices are Yunno-san and Acous-san. They're all pretty smart people, so I suppose they're generating magic circuits from their mind and then using their part of their bodies as the medium in lieu of an actual device. I'm not so sure. However, that also means that they can't use much directly offensive spells like Divine Buster since the energy built up might destroy their arms, for instance. That's why Yunno-san is essentially a support mage and Acous-san is… well… unique."

_Hmm… So it might be possible to do something like Viki's Chain Magic. I can already generate magic circuits in my mind, so perhaps the only issue is the way to cast two spells simultaneously… that should increase the power of my spells further… I should look into the possibility of different mediums or altering the circuits further to that end… oh wait… Vivio's going to…_

"Erm… Vivio… That's not a good idea…"

Several flashes of crimson light appeared as multiple columns of flames appeared and converged, causing a spontaneous explosion of red and white that rocked the cell violently. I quickly made my way into the cell to catch a wobbling woozy blonde mage before she hit the hard floor of the cell. I sighed as I looked at the tired, sleepy, but yet oddly contented smile on her face.

"Matagu… a Final Flame spell after you had been randomly blasting so many other advanced spells? Hontou ni yarisugi…"

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After settling her as comfortably as I could against the wall of the audience area, I idly wondered if I should heal her Healing Wind or Kindness Rain. It wouldn't cure her energy drain, but at least it'll make her less tired physically. I decided on the former since it's much more refreshing than Kindness rain, which was more suitable for multiple recipients. A thought came to mind while the green glow surrounded my Vivio.

_Hmm… I never thought of this before, but equipping a Cyclone Rune and a Flowing Rune at the same time is kind of redundant since both possess healing spells… I guess I preferred the softer approach of these runes as compared to the raw power of Fire and Lightning, but then again I have all the power I'll ever need in my left hand. Hmm… well, perhaps I'll equip a Mother Earth or Rage rune so I can cast Unite Magic with Vivio… wait… Unite Magic? hmm…_

I moved into the firing area and made further adjustments to the Rune-Hybrid system, creating another core energy path in addition to the previous one, thereby linking both my Cyclone Rune and my Flowing Rune to Yukishiro. I concentrated for a moment and projected my will to both runes at once for the lowest level spell.

"Unite Magic: Water Dragon Level 1"

A tempest of ice and wind spontaneously erupted into being within the cell while a faint dragon-shaped concentration of blue energy roamed the confines, colliding violently within the confines of the cell. The entire cell frosted white soon after as everything within froze. I looked at the readings and found extremely high negative readings. Apparently the meters were designed to measure exothermic types of energy attacks, while Water Dragon is evidently an endothermic type that removes energy from the surroundings instantaneously… Well, it will have its uses eventually, and it's an adequate offence that combines the power of two advanced runes. Hopefully I can avoid resorting to my True Rune as much as possible.

Satisfied with the experiment, I carried my sleeping princess out of the cell, ignoring the "awws" and catwhistles from the other Forwards. Somehow, the said princess managed to blush even though she's still asleep, eliciting a smile from that endearing sight.

_I'm really getting used to this smiling thing really quickly…_

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After a month or so of research and discussions with Yunno-san over the communication link, I decided to shelve the idea of the Chain Magic system. It's not that the idea was unfeasible. In fact, I had managed to put together a rather revolutionary idea, even by my standards by breaking away from the two dimensional design of normal circuits. Building on the Rune-Hybrid System, I took the design from the point of an external power source, but instead of a rune, I substituted in a linear form of magical circuits this time instead. By lengthening and wrapping these circuits in a conical fashion around the body, thereby enabling part of the body to be used as a secondary medium; a second spell can then be cast simultaneously, and its power will then converge upon the spell in the device, doubling the effect of the spell. The results were nothing short of spectacular during the experimentation stage; the Breath of Ice spell I used to test out the theory had results comparable to a high level Furious Blow spell. The problem was that the side effects of this system damaged my left arm so extensively on a structural and physical level that I had to use Mother Ocean from my Flowing rune next to revive it; hence the side-effect is too extraordinary to be justified, even with regards to its amazing amplification effect. The Chain System is too dangerous to be used as a normal technique.

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Another ten months passed with relative calm. By this time, the three Forward teams and the Wolkenritter had become fully active and ready for deployment, but that also meant that the training field had become slightly congested. Before long, the four teams starting conducting sparring exercises against each other… no surprise who suggested this recent turn of events. However, the luck of the draw seemed to desert a certain pink swordswoman as the Wolkenritter got paired off with Forwards 2. We on the other hand, got Team Takamichi… I mean Forwards 3. Not that I was complaining, since…

A stream of sparks flew as two blades of white and silver clashed relentlessly against each other faster than the sparks took to disappear.

"Not bad old man."

"I see you've been in practice too."

"This is just warm up. You do realise that right?"

"Vivio's 17th birthday is next month. You do realise that right?"

"Shut up! That's cheating!"

Another series of thrusts, slashes and parries were exchanged with unnatural grace and speed as both swordsmen traded offence, defence and at times both simultaneously. The eyes of the awaiting Forward teams were caught on this amazing demonstration of centuries of swordsmanship, crystallized in an awe-inspiring sword-dance. And we had just been warming up. After another hefty crossing of blades, we pushed away from each other and circled each other once again.

I took the opportunity to look at how the other Forwards were doing. Erio-san and Vivio were locked in close combat with Kyoya-san and Miyuki-san. The two elder Takamichis looked more like seasoned veterans than the relative rookies as they pounded my two forwards with a barrage of quick and consecutive attacks from their dual blades. Their speed made the reach of their lances less effective than they would have liked, but even so, they were holding their own for now.

"You taught them swordplay from our world?"

"I run a dojo next to my house too. What do you expect?"

Lutecia-san, Agito-san and Caro-san were facing off against the Lieze twins. This match was a bit unbalanced since the twins were instructor class to begin with, but the trio of forwards were surprisingly effective in warding of the twin's advances, much to their surprise. The twins had split into a horde of clones and images and were attacking the Trio with fast and relentless attacks. The mini-Gigan barriers held resolutely against both their physical and magical attacks while Lutecia-san's rapid shots were able to hit the many Liezes through the gaps deliberately left by Caro-san. Agito-san had also unisoned with Lutecia-san, helping to increase her firepower and direct the deadly Endless Barrage formation flawlessly. They would be fine for now too.

"Well then," I started as Yukishiro ejected five pellets. "Let's really get things going now."

He followed suit with five cartridges. "Don't hold back now."

I raised an eyebrow and growled. "I assure you, that thought NEVER EVER came into my mind."

Two digital voices rang out.

"Sonic Move."

"Shukuchihō."

The surprise on his face as he recognised the term just before he blurred into a stream of light was priceless. With that, our swords soon made the first contact at extreme speeds before we crossed each other. However, instead of being caught in the momentum of a regular Sonic Move, I was able to phase out of my accelerated state and phase back in straight away, turning perfectly as I chased down that light, creating the illusion of fading into thin air in the process. An original spell of my own creation, aptly named after its inspiration from one of those books I brought back from Japan, Shukuchihō.

From the corner of my eye, I saw that Vivio and Erio-san had followed my lead and began to use magic as well. The inevitable disadvantage of dual wielding is that defence is sacrificed in favor of speed and offence, and I realised they have been holding back all this while from their little grins. Vivio started using her runic magic while wielding her lance in one hand, eventually overcoming Kyoya-san who had to sacrifice one blade to constantly raise a barrier against her powerful fire spells, leaving only one to deal with her well-trained thrust attacks.

Erio-san on the other hand simply overwhelmed Miyuki-san by charging up a particularly powerful magical attack while all the while striking with his lance normally. The impact of that charged attack surprised the swordswomen and knocked one of her kodachis away from her hands. The difference in reach was now telling and the winner was evident.

The Trio also stepped up a gear as Caro-san increased the number mini-Gigan Barriers and altered their composition, turning them translucent. Lutecia-san also switched to short bursts of red light beams instead of her magical ammunitions, before firing at the barriers instead of shooting past them. The well-calculated shot was just below their threshold, thereby energising the barrier instead of breaking them. Caro-san then dispersed the energy gathered towards the other barriers which then reflected the light to and fro repeating the process of self-reinforcement before finally exploding streams of intense red light at every direction around them, wiping all the Lieze images at once while zapping the real cores in the process.

_To think they were complaining about that rule which stated energy cannot be created. They forget all rules are meant __to be broken at some point. Just take a look at the Viki and her time travels… Oh right, I should end mine too._

Despite his accelerated movement in light form and jagged paths, the manoeuvrability of my Shukuchihō was much more superior in terms of both speed and flexibility. In addition to these two, it also enables me to make omnidirectional attacks from dislocated positions at extreme velocities, something which proved pretty useful as Yukishiro sounded out again a new move built within the Shukuchihō.

"Kamaitachi."

I faded out and suddenly appeared from above him, driving my white blade unto his hastily raised silver one. As his momentum was heading in a different direction, it lent him very little steel to his parry. The result was a new crater on the field as I drove him crashing down with the velocity that exceeds a normal Sonic Move. When the smoke cleared, only one team was clearly left standing, while the audience looked shell-shocked. Eventually Shamal-san's voice broke the silence.

"Signum… here… you're drooling…"

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Judging from the results of this match, needless to say I was reasonably happy about how much the Forwards had progressed compared to when I first began training them. Their individual abilities, magic and grasp of the UE systems, tactics and combination attacks… I might not have anything left to teach them. Realising how far advanced my Forwards 1 were in terms of combat ability and applied magic, the other teams began to work on their own training for the rest of the day while the two teams in action earlier went to freshen up. I liked their attitude; they weren't going to settle for being second best for too long and hence they're training even harder than before. A little friendly rivalry never hurt.

But now a new problem occupied my mind. It really was one ordeal after another…

"_Vivio's 17th birthday is next month. You do realise that right?"_

_That's not it really. Today is Valentines, and that means…_

"Vivio?" I called out after the blonde.

"Yes? Is anything the matter Lazlo?"

"Do you have anything on tonight?"

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Training seemed to breeze past all too quickly as night fell. I knew those presents I had bought some time ago would come in handy someday as I managed to negotiate and commandeer the use of Fate-san and Nanoha-san's room for the night. I earned quite a few dirty looks from Nanoha-san before I made it clear that theirs was the only room I knew with a working kitchen around. It wasn't until I offered to have them stay if they wished that Nanoha-san finally relented. Fate-san had arched an eyebrow at my offer, but I simply shrugged a little. Perhaps I can win both Takamichis over tonight.

I stood in the kitchen, trying to remember what Mami and Retso had taught me about cooking all that time ago. I never thought I had to ever prepare a "culinary masterpiece", as Retso puts it, but hey, I was bored then. Heaving a rather heavy sigh, I proceeded to slice and dice my way though some of the ingredients that I had brought along, all the while trying to recall what the next step was supposed to be. I must be doing something right though, as I vaguely recalled seeing Nanoha-san with that fan-girl glint in her eyes, something I hadn't seen since the HiDEC2 first arrived. It was only later that I found out from Fate-san that Nanoha-san is… erm… culinary handicapped.

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Vivio finally arrived just as I was finishing my last dish. I couldn't help but chuckle when I heard a rather distinctive shrill voice cry out.

"Mamas! You're still here!?"

I wished I could see their expressions.

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Well, the confusion was settled soon enough as everyone eventually seated themselves before the table. I couldn't help but take second and third looks at Vivio. She wasn't one for fancy dresses, but her simple ensemble looked stunning enough on her; her white long-sleeved blouse was accentuated with ribbon and lace while a dark navy skirt and a matching ribbon around her collars completed the look. Her long waist-length hair, released from her usual single ponytail, added to her overall visual impact, making her seem really grownup considering her age. I was broken out of my little trance when I heard her exclaim in admiration.

"Wow! Did you make all this Lazlo?"

I nodded modestly. I decided to speak less, lest I manage to rile up Nanoha-san in anyway. That way, she could only be impressed.

After a round of appreciative looks and comments, dinner officially commenced. Inwardly I thanked my two friends for their instruction, in addition to the stars for being kind enough to not have anyone keel over or have a taste gone wrong tonight. Suffice to say, I felt that I had won another Great War tonight, judging by their glowing appraisals of my hard work and prayers.

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After dinner and some generic chatting, we found ourselves walking back to our rooms. It was a short distance, but we were happy to have a little time alone to ourselves. Strangely enough, Nanoha-san didn't say anything about following. Perhaps she had finally won over, I wondered.

"Penny for your thoughts?" my blonde partner asked, tightening her hold on my arm.

"Just wondering if your Nanoha-mama has finally been won over."

"I was wondering about that too. I bet that dinner scored quite a few points." she reasoned.

With that, we smiled and carried on walking as slow as we could. Nevertheless, we reached her door eventually and we just stopped there awkwardly. I took that as my cue and took out a little box that I had prepared for a while now.

"Here. To us." I said in lieu of Happy Birthday, since that probably didn't have much happy connotations for her.

She opened the box and smiled happily at the little silver chain within. On it dangled two platinum rings of similar design, one adorned with a pink heart-shaped diamond and the other, an emerald cut in the shape of a shell.

"Lazlo, these…"

"I brought these rings from my world, but I had them recut into these shapes. The emerald ring was originally a Windspun Ring for boosting Wind Magic, and the pink one a Mystic Ring for raising your natural resistance to magic… but now… they're for an eventuality if you like."

Judging from that lovely blush that I had grown so familiar of, I could tell that she understood. I took the chain and helped her put it on, before she pulled back just a little and looked up expectantly. I took the hint and was about to lean forward when I noticed a slight crack in the door nearby. I tilted my head slightly towards the door, smiling a little wryly as I saw miscoloured eyes widen in realisation.

"CARO! LUTECIA!"

Out tumbled the two above mentioned girls from their dorm next door as they lost balance and spilled out unto the corridors. Seeing that familiar Nanoha-esque look when she's about to Starlight Breaker someone, the two quickly picked themselves up and hurried inside, the door closing audibly behind them with a deliberate click. I could faintly hear two female voices cry out.

"So close!"

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After that little distraction, my beloved blonde straightened herself out a little before returning to her earlier position, her blush returning in full force from her insistence on that precious promised gift. I deliberately took my time leaning down towards her until I felt her move up on her toes to meet in a small kiss. Her shy eyes were mixed with a certain longing for more when we parted, so I stepped into her and captured her lips for a second, deeper one as I ran my hand down the length of her blonde tresses. I could feel her arms tighten around me as she smiled and sighed contentedly into our kiss. The moment didn't last long though, as an unwelcome red flashing monitor flashed beside us. She growled as we broke apart to answer.

"I'm so going to kill whoever interrupts us."

Grinning slightly before I went back to serious mode, I answered the signal. It was Alto-san, the officer on duty today.

"What is it Alto-san? We're kinda busy at the moment."

"We have a large scale emergency. Hayate-sama has mobilised all four teams to move out at once. Please meet at the meeting room as soon as you can."

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Vivio was still growling when we reached the meeting room, earning curious stares from the other members and knowing smiles from Fate-san and the other two girls from my team. However, the atmosphere turned solemn when the Colonel entered the room with a serious look.

"Guys, we have a problem. One of the planets that had recently joined the TSAB had sent out a distress request with regards to an attack upon their principal city. According to their reports, the perpetuator led a horde of monsters and attacked their planet without warning. According to reports, the citizens of the principal city were forced underground due to this alien siege, and so our mission is to get them out."

A large screen appeared in the middle of the room, showing a planet smaller but similar to Earth. Within the image, several dark clouds seemed to be growing and surrounding the planet. The images zoomed in further to reveal several annoyingly familiar skeletal creatures and dark shadows.

I turned towards the blonde beside me and whispered. "We might really get to kill the guy who interrupted us."

"Huh?"

"The reports also state a certain black knight was leading the horde of creatures in the attack."

"Yuber." announced Shiro-san in recognition.

Vivio whispered back to me upon hearing that.

"You're right. But I'm so going to enjoy this."

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Another time jump, but probably the last for a while. The Forwards need to be ready, thus I felt a little levelling time is necessary. A little sparring scene is included just to make the levelling up seem more evident, as compared to me just saying they've improved and leaving it at that. The little paragraph about the Chain system is actually pretty crucial later on, so do pay a little attention to it.

The little birthday/Valentines day was added too, just to add some fluff to brighten my day, if not your day. It wouldn't be normal for couples to skip these types of occasions, so I thought it would be appropriate.

There were several Japanese expressions used, but hopefully they're comprehensible by most.

Here are some other references for today:

Blazing Wall: a 3rd level Fire spell that causes two rows of flames to appear and move past each other.

Explosion: a 4th level Fire spell that causes a large explosion of fire.

Final Flame: a 5th Level Fire spell that causes multiple columns of flames to appear and converge upon the target area, exploding in a flash of red and white.

Breath of Ice: a 2nd level Water spell that causes a wide area freezing effect that sacrifices power for a wide area effect.

Kindness Rain: a 3rd level Water spell that cures allies over a wide area.

Mother Ocean: a 5th level Water spell that restores a character completely. A more powerful version of Healing Wind.

Healing Wind: a 2nd level Wind spell that cures a single character.

Furious Bolt: a 4th level Lightning spell that cause high electrical damage along a straight line.

Water Dragon: a unite attack from the Cyclone and Flowing runes. Creates a tempest of wind and ice while a blue dragon-shaped energy traverses within, dealing additional damage. There are four levels of intensity.

Shukuchihō: a mythical type of movement technique that allows instantaneous movement from one place to another, as if the earth beneath has shrunk in distance. I'm using it for a new high-speed technique that befits its namesake.

Kamaitachi: a mythical wind yokai or spirit/demon that takes the form of a weasel which attacks in swift, precise and unexpected fashion. I'm using it for the new attack derived from Shukuchihō, a disjointed highspeed attack from any direction and position.

Retso and Mami: the resident chefs of Suikoden 5 and 3, respectively.

Nothing else to say for this chapter, other than it's a filler slash trailer for the next crisis. As usual, reviews are welcomed.

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Omake 14: Lazlo's character tales: Jowy and Riou

(Just before the Chain Magic experiment, when V catches hold of L and pesters him for another story.)

L: Today, I'll tell you about two friends I know. Their name is Jowy and Riou.

V: Are they True Rune bearers too?

L: Yes. But their case is more unusual. Their Rune is the Rune of Beginning, the rune that governs the chaos and opportunity of beginnings. However, the rune is naturally split into the Black Sword Rune and the Bright Shield Rune, which is borne by Jowy and Riou respectively.

V: I see.

L: The halves do not grant full immortality since only the full True Rune can do something like that, but they are able to slow down aging by a large margin. However, the runes tend to inspire conflict, so those two are usually at odds with each other. Oddly enough, this never forces them apart.

V: It must be love! True love that thrives on despite adversity, and between two bishonen no less. Yaoi! It's so romantic!

L: Erm… V? I think you've been sticking around Caro-san and Momoko-san too much.

V: Hee… Just fishing for your reaction.


	19. Chapter 19

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 18: Siege

_It begins. I have been in many a Great War, but none compares even remotely to the scale of this one. I couldn't help thinking about this when the Forwards mobilised towards the TSAB main office, the designated staging area for the fleet assigned to the response. At least seven full warships were docked there being supplied and prepared for the battle, one of them I recognised as the Claudia. From where we arrived, I noted several contingents of armed enforcers and mages alike loading into various warships before we reached the main office itself. Our first stop was the war room. _

The war room was spacious but packed nonetheless upon our arrival. As the leaders of the mission hadn't arrived yet, the members within the room began talking among themselves for the moment, despite the generally tense and solemn atmosphere. A blue-haired mage and a red-haired enforcer made our way to us, apparently acquaintances of the Captains and some of the Forwards.

"Subaru! Tea!" exclaimed Vivio cheerfully as she latched onto the blue-haired mage who swung her around like a wheelie.

"Vivio! It's really been a long time. You've grown up!" replied who I guessed was Subaru-san, who was bouncing up and down with her.

"It's good to see that you guys are well, Fate-san, Vivio, minah." spoke Tea-san relatively calmly.

"Yes, I'm happy to see you too. Although I wish it could have been from happier circumstances." replied Fate-san with a smile.

"I see a lot of new faces in the unit. The Numbers too! How is the unit doing?" asked Tea-san out of curiosity when she saw the rest of the Forwards enter as well.

"Well, we've expanded as you can see. Apart from the Wolkenritter and the original Forwards, we have Forwards 2 under Fate and Forwards 3 under me." explained Nanoha-san who had just arrived.

"I see… who's leading Forwards 1 then? I take it that Hayate-sama is still leading the Wolkenritter." mused Tea-san aloud.

"Well…" Fate-san tilted her head towards me. "Lazlo there is the unofficial leader of Forwards 1. Or rather he is the new Guard Wing Left and the trainer of the squad."

Tea-san raised her eyebrow in surprise. I decided to introduce myself, saving Fate-san the trouble of explanation.

"Lazlo En Kuldes, Guard Wing Left of Forwards 1. Pleased to meet your acquaintance Tea-san." I started as I gave a little bow in deference to her rank.

"Oh, Teana Lanstar, leader of Alpha 1 Enforcers, but Tea would do. We will be participating in this response as well." she turned around and hollered at the Subaru-san.

"Subaru! Stop bouncing already and come introduce yourself."

"Alright, alright!" Subaru-san replied as she made her way towards us with Vivio. "Hi. I'm Subaru Nakajima, leader of Subaru Squad, TSAB Disaster Planning and Humanitarian Aid. How do you do?"

"Lazlo En Kuldes. It's a pleasure."

"Lazlo-san is Vivio's boyfrien…" chipped in Caro-san out of nowhere.

"Caro!" cried out Vivio, blushing slightly.

"Are you still shy about this? You guys were about to kiss the other day…" Lutecia-san didn't get to finish her sentence before she got the Nanoha-esque death stare once again.

Tea-san and Subaru-san arched their eyebrow at this as they looked at the shrinking red-faced blonde before them and then to me. I simply smiled. After all, I couldn't be happier that it's true.

"Yes, there's that too. Don't worry; I won't let anything happen to Vivio."

Generic nodding and knowing smiles. The room suddenly quietened down as the higher-ups arrived.

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"Thank you all for coming." began Hayate-sama. "We will begin briefing you about the mission today."

The room dimmed a little as a large image appeared in the centre of the room showing the previous small planet.

"This is Terra Albion, one of the newest additions to TSAB. Much of the planet is primarily primitive jungles, but there exists an advanced principal city, Shamballah, here."

The image zoomed in to a series of white built-up area.

"Almost twenty hours ago, we received a distress request about an alien invasion that appeared from nowhere. These are the most recent images obtained by the recon team some three hours ago."

The image changed to an enlarged image of the planet that had large packs of familiar demon summons and skeletal dragons hovering above the planets surface. The image rotated to show that the entire planet was surrounded by them. A loud murmur can be heard from the people gathered in the room.

"From the reports we managed to receive and the long range life-scanners, the residents of the principal city seemed to have been forced underground here."

The image shifted to a white built-up area before zooming in to a specific area.

"There might be a cavern system or entrance to the underground levels here, but due to the creatures in the way, we cannot ascertain that from our scanners alone."

The image then changed into a shaky transmission of presumably one of the last reports received from the planet.

"Also, in the last transmission from Shamballah, they managed to catch a view of who they believe to leading the creatures."

The images stilled and zoomed in on a familiar black figure in armour.

"This figure is highly dangerous. My unit had an encounter with him a year ago and have identified him as Yuber, a cross-dimensional demon. Do not underestimate his power and do not seek a direct confrontation on an isolated basis if possible."

The images on the screen changed back to the previous overview of the planet.

"Here are the objectives of this mission; 1) to break the siege on the planet sufficiently enough to allow infiltration by a small team, 2) the small team will ascertain the location of the underground entrance and confirm the location of the residents, 3) to lift the siege sufficiently enough to allow the Rescue Division to rendezvous with the residents and begin evacuation, 4) and lastly, a full scale attack to wipe out all the creatures by both naval and ground forces."

One of the admirals then stood up.

"The initial strike will be led by three admirals; Admiral Chrono Haloun of Claudia, Admiral Yamato of Sayers and Admiral Yeltsman of Mariane. They will be supported by Enforcer squads Alpha 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as four designated squads from TSAB Armed Forces."

Tea-san, along with eight other officers stood up and saluted in recognition of the orders.

"The team infiltrating the siege will be Forwards 1 from my unit. The Wolkenritter and Forwards 2 will be in charge of clearing the way while Forwards 3 will remain behind as backup and long range support."

Hayate-sama was looking at me with a knowing look, so I took it as my cue to stand and salute with the other two captains in acknowledgement, as odd as it seemed for a corporal to do that.

"Hayate-sama," one of the less familiar uniformed officers sounded out. "Is it appropriate to send just one team for infiltration? You mentioned how dangerous this Yuber character was. Shouldn't we send a more significant squad?"

"We should, but we can't. From the forces we have at the moment, simulations have shown that we can open a small breach in the siege for a short duration. Five knights from the Saint Church are currently organising their ground and atmospheric forces, but it would only be able to join us in time for our full assault. We cannot afford to put the civilians at risk any longer as the frontal assault will inevitably affect them as well. Besides, Forwards 1 is the strongest team in our unit at the moment." Hayate-sama explained, while shooting me a suspicious smile.

"If you're worried about their combat ability, why not take a look at part of their training exercise that took place several hours earlier."

My brows were twitching as the screen switched to clips from the last training battle we had earlier that earned "oohs" and "awws" from the rest, as well as certain weird looks from the other officers. I shot a dirty look of my own at the captains. Fate-san seemed awfully interested in the table all of a sudden while Nanoha-san just gave a sheepish shrug.

"_What can I say? Hayate likes to show off her unit. It's a higher up thing."_

I managed to keep my growl in as Hayate-sama continued.

"Admiral Clyne of the Eternal will be in charge of evacuation attempt, supported by the three squads from the Rescue Division. The ship will remain behind until notice by the Forwards teams as no combat unit is assigned to it in preparation for the refugees."

A female admiral nodded while Subaru-san and two other officers saluted in acknowledgment

"The second strike will involve the same admirals, in addition to Admiral Zala of the Valentine, Admiral Joule of the Voltaire and Admiral Boris of the Centurion. The combatant troops assigned to them will be the remaining nine squads of TSAB Armed Forces. The Saint Church troops arriving later will supplement everyone else already involved in the full assault."

With that, the remaining officers acknowledged the instructions as well.

"All limiters will be removed for this mission due to its severity. Lastly the Claudia will be acting as the flagship for this mission, as well as the transport for the Forward teams. Assuming command for the operations will be Admiral Leti, Admiral Lindy Haloun and…" the door suddenly opened as in stepped a greying old gentleman. "former Admiral Gil Graham, who has graciously agreed to accompany us on an advisory capacity."

All the officers in the room snapped into a salute, including the Admirals, as the stately old man moved to the centre of the room and addressed everyone in a deep voice.

"Please, there is no need for that. I'm merely a civilian collaborator this time. But I really did not expect to be involved in a mission of this scale once again at my age. It's faintly nostalgic with mixed feelings."

As the others murmured in excitement, I only had one thought in my mind.

_So the Tenki star has arrived too. Perfect._

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After everyone was dismissed from the War Room, we made our way to the Claudia where we were preparing for what lies ahead. Loading additional clips of cartridges, reviewing the geography of the planet, summoning two huge dragons… I had to raise an eyebrow at that. That was unexpected.

"They're Caro's dragons, Freidrich and Voltaire. They're going to be our transport into the planet as our flight systems are unable to switch from space flight to atmospheric flight efficiently, as well as to conserve our linker core energy." explained Vivio matter-of-factly.

"I see." I muttered as my thoughts went to Milia and her Dragon rune.

"Here." Vivio handed me a small choker with a green stone and a small shield. No, not one of the shields we generate by magic, but an actual buckler. I looked at her with a querying look.

"The necklace is for air supply in space. The shield is a heat absorption device, a heat shield. They're important since we're going to enter the atmosphere directly and there's going to be a lot of heat involved."

I fingered the buckler slightly, mostly for the sake of nostalgia at the sight and feel of something remotely similar to my world even though its function is wholly different, before I simply shook my head at them.

"I don't need these. I have the HiMAT remember? I'm pretty sure I don't need air too."

As if to prove my point, I started to hold my breath although I was actually doing that more to just to see that flustered look about my favourite blonde. Upon seeing what I was up to, Vivio panicked and kept telling me to stop that while pounding on my chest. It wasn't until five minutes passed and I didn't turn blue that she relented.

"It must be convenient, the immortal thing and all…"

"It has its moments."

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The Forwards gathered at the flight deck as we neared the designated drop off point. Spotting Shiro-san, I made my way to him. He spoke first.

"Do you feel it?"

"Yes. A rune other than Hachifusa."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"How much of your Circle Rune have you managed to tap into?"

"Less than half I'm afraid."

"If I fail, try to protect the fleet."

"You really didn't have to ask."

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The Captains arrived with the Colonel a little later. Giving a little nod, everyone changed into their barrier jackets and prepared to lift off. Wendi-san was about to point out I had forgotten my space-use equipment when I activated my HiMAT.

"HiMAT system commencing. 3, 2, 1."

Brilliant blue light erupted from my back and congealed into equally brilliant blue wings that brought me a little off the ground. I could see the look of amazements on the members of the other Forward teams. Well, there's always more to come.

"Yukishiro, commence phase three."

"Yes, my sovereign. HiMAT phase three."

The eight wings that made up the main pair began to disengage from each other and realign as two distinct columns of four. The first two began to vibrate at an extremely fast rate, generating a flurry of glowing bluish white particles. The second row began to vibrate soon after and the glow intensified. The process continued to the last row where the light has intensified to a glaring level before I fully extended my wings, blasting out of the flight deck at an unheard of speed in space, leaving a trail of bluish white particles of light. I made several consecutive sharp turns and dashes, illuminating the darkness of space a little extravagantly in order to get used to the space-use version of the HiMAT before returning near the flight deck. When i noticed that the Forwards were simply gawking at the residual afterimages of my little trial flight. I sent them all a mental message.

"_Shouldn't we get a move on?"_

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The vanguard ships started moving towards the planet and as expected, the creatures moved to engage them. The ships began firing on some of the larger demonic summons and skeletal dragons while teams of Armed Enforcers and aerial mages intercepted the more modestly sized ones as a dazzling display of fireballs and light beams ensued. The sheer number of the creatures meant that victory though force of arms was impossible at the moment. However the distraction worked and a small breach appeared in the siege. The two dragons and I made a beeline for that small chink in their armour while the other two teams veered off our flanks to intercept several groups of creatures who had noticed us.

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Forwards 2 veered off towards the left flank as soon as they spotted the mass of creatures that had begun converging towards the breach. Their forte was controlling the battle area with stratagem and zone tactics and hence the members split to their respective duties.

Otto and Dieci took up stationary positions a little distance off Forwards 1 as they began to provide bombardment and cover fire duties. Using her Enormous Cannon, Dieci started breaking up the more tightly packed groups of creatures effectively using her wide-area ammunitions while Otto dispatched those dispersed with her Ray Storm while Dieci loaded up for the next shots. The long range guards effectively kept the enemy from flooding forward en masse recklessly.

Sein, Sette and Wendi took up the medium range Wing positions and began weaving in and out in between monsters taking advantage of their higher mobility, further breaking up their formations and herding them towards the frontline trio. Sette focused on whittling down their numbers using her boomerang blades while perched on Wendi's improved board as the other girl took charge of their harassment manoeuvres. Sein on the other hand alternated between shooting magic and using Deep Diver to penetrate the creatures while leaving an explosive energy charge within their beings.

Cinque, Nove and Deed made up the frontline attackers of the team and they made the most direct assaults on the creatures due to their much higher combat abilities. Making use of movement magic which they had learnt in the unit, they alternated between high velocity combination attacks against the larger creatures and individual elimination of anything else that got in their way. One such "anything" happened to be a pretty pissed of skeletal dragon that had part of one wing blown off by Dieci.

"Nove, Deed, we're taking that one down." Cinque directed with quiet calm.

The other two nodded in acknowledgement as the three went into Sonic Moves and spiralled towards the said creature. Noticing the three streams of light, the dragon fired an enormous mass of heat towards them, forcing them to disengage into three but not out of their attack. In return, Cinque threw a volley of Stingers at it, causing it to flinch from the explosion, distracting it just enough for Nove to stun it further with a magically charged hit on its head with her Gun Knuckle, cracking part of its already exposed skull before firing at it with energy bullets as she pushed back off it in recoil.

Deed took advantage of its lack of response to fly near its body, all the while using her Twin Blades to stab along its skeletal body and wings, making deep vertical insertions on the rock hard body. All this while, Cinque had been materializing and energizing longer variations of her Stingers and had a spiralling column of short swords hovering around her body and raised right hand. Upon seeing Deed completing her part of the attack, she lowered her arm in one smooth motion and mouthed a quiet declaration.

"Stinger: Blade Song."

The enhanced Stingers launched themselves at the poor punctured creature as several waves of swords attacked with uncanny precision the deep insertions made earlier, each consecutive blade driving the prior one deeper within the large creature, earning a painful roar from the monster. Deciding its time, Cinque sounded a second declaration.

"Cresendo."

The Stingers within the creature started to glow and infuse the creature's own body with Cinque's Rumble Detonator energy, causing sections of the body to glow with bright rays of light appearing from the insertions. With Nove and Deed by her side once again, she uttered for the last time before taking off towards another group of victims as the skeletal dragon recovered enough of its bearings to roar in anger in the direction of their fading backs.

"Finale."

The Stingers began to detonate within the monster, inciting further explosions from the charged portions of the skeletal creature itself, tearing it apart from within until all that remained were debris of bone floating in space.

"Nice." commented Fate-san to herself in satisfaction, before she promptly turned her attentions back on another one of its recently disembowelled kin and beheaded it in one smooth motion from her Plasma Zanber.

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The Wolkenritter veered off towards the right flank and began to remove the creatures as they tried to cover the breach. Signum and Vita moved towards the front to engage the creatures directly while Shamal and Zafira supported from the rear as Hayate was currently charging up a spell.

Signum disengaged Laevatein into its Schlangenform and expelled four cartridges as she charged the chain-link blade with raw magical energy. With quiet aggression, the pink knight proceeded to wipe out rows of the demonic summons at once with her Hiryū Issen attack by wielding it in consecutive sweeps.

Vita took care of the more resistant creatures that made it past Signum's sweeping attacks by using her Reketen Hammer to shatter that creature in one blow, after which she retreated a little in order to charge up a second one for any others that made its way past once more.

Zafira was watching their backs by using his Eruption Spears to skewer anything else that tried to flank the two up front while Shamal kept the Knights up to date with the enemies movements.

After a moment, Hayate, with Reinforce unisoned within, sent the signal for them to fall back, to which Shamal used her teleportation ability to transport the frontline attackers back to the rear as the now SSS mage fired off the spell she had been charging all this while.

"Diabolique Emissione"

The resultant expanding sphere of concentrated magic wiped out all of the remaining creatures in the vicinity in one fell swoop. However, their reinforcements began converging upon them once again as the Shamal sent the frontliners via teleportation out once again while Hayate started charging another spell.

"There's no end to this."

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Thanks to the two teams' efforts, we managed to pass through the breach successfully and the surface of the planet came into view. However, the sense of unease did not pass. I scanned the surface of any further signs of threats but found nothing extraordinary to justify my nagging suspicion.

Deciding to shelve that thought for now, the two dragons and I flew at full speed towards the principal city of Shamballah, wiping out along the way the summons foolish enough to challenge our path.

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Author's Notes:

Another chapter down, a mix of tactics, action and foreshadowing of things to come. I've incorporated a little action scenes for Forwards 2 and the Wolkenritter just so I could liven things up a little, as well as a request from a reviewer to see more of Cinque. So there you go. "What thou asks, thou gets." That's my writing philosophy for now. Hope I didn't disappoint though.

I've always given a lot of flak for the advisors of the Suikoden series, but I really didn't realise how hard it would be to come up with ingenious plans myself. So I should apologize to the Silverbergs, Caesar especially for that dumb tactic with the Duck Village. Lucretia I liked, so that's that. Hopefully the tactics and strategies here are realistic or sufficiently believable.

Well, I expanded the HiMAT for space flight with Phase 3, but I've really always had that idea from the start since I've gotten my inspiration from the Freedom Gundam design. You know, the one where the wings ignite slowly before the whole thing just bursts forward? The light stream for space travel is also inspired from the new Gundam Exia and its photon decay phenomenon which serves as its propulsion. It also resembles the Voiture Lumière engine too.

I've also added a few references to other shows and animes, so good for you if you caught them. Don't think too much about them though.

As for references, there isn't much other than the Tenki star, which is the traditional star occupied by the advisors of the Suikoden series. I've placed Gil Graham in this role, since he is a widely experienced character within the series. As a trivia point, this star is also known as the Wisdom Star in the original Water Margins, according to my research and correlation.

That's that for now. Next chapter then, though it might be a little slow. School. But do review if there's anything constructive to bring up.

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Omake 15: Lazlo's character stories: Geddoe, Hugo and Chris

(A few months before the sparring match and emergency, when V catches of L again and blackmails him with a pout complete with puppy eyes…)

L: Today, I'll tell you about three friends… or rather people that I know of.

V: Are there True Rune bearers too?

L: Yes they are. I thought I acquaint you with them first.

V: Alright. That seems like a good idea.

L: The first is Geddoe… well he isn't really a friend anymore. I've mentioned about having taken the eye of a friend once haven't I? That's him. He bears the True Lightning rune.

V: I see… Don't worry too much L, I bet chicks dig the whole eye patch deal. Just take a look at the Jack Sparrow and Johnny Depp fad.

L: Who?

V: Erm… nevermind. How about the others?

L: Well, Hugo is a young village chief of Karaya Village in the Grasslands and the bearer of the True Fire rune. He had only recently gained his immortality, but even so, he's young even by your standards. I knew his mother Lucia from my travels in Duran, so I'm actually quite fond of the boy. He also tried to save Luc during the Great War that claimed him, so I'm thankful to him for that as well, even if he didn't succeed…

V: I see… Don't worry too much L, I bet there are shotacons out there who dig young village chiefs too. Just take a look at Yukihiro Ayaka.

L: Erm… actually…

V: How about this Chris?

L: Well, Chris is the leader of the Zexen Knights, one of the more prominent knighthoods from my world. Chris is also a recent immortal and bears the True Water rune. Chris is also a practitioner of the Phoenix style and has one of the finest swordsmanship I've seen in recent times.

V: This Chris sounds likes quite a fellow. I'm sure he's quite popular among the girls.

L: Well… I suppose that's true… the father was a handsome knight too, and it probably has to do with that beautiful silver hair and armour as well…

V: A real knight in shining silver armour, and with matching hair too. How romantic!

L (muttering to himself): I think I shouldn't mention that Chris Lightfellow is a girl… what are the chances of her finding out anyway…

V: L, did you say something?


	20. Chapter 20

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 19: Lost

_Something is amiss… but what…_

We crossed over the jungles as our destinations loomed into view, a white city with its splendour reduced to mere smoking remains. Voltaire and Friedrich took out the enemies that flew towards us with their draconic fire bolts while I cut down any other which survived that with my white nodachi. We flew over the city itself, scanning for any likely underground entrances before we eventually found one that we surrounded by creatures streaming into it.

"I sense life-readings that way." Agito-san said as she pointed in the direction of the depression.

"I'll clear the path." I acknowledged as I flew ahead, and linking my two runes to Yukishiro.

"Water Dragon level 3" rang out her familiar digital voice.

An intense tempest of ice and snow blew unto the monsters that surrounded the entrance while two large blue dragons circled and tore into them as well. The summoned monsters froze spontaneously as the temperature dropped below freezing point by several thousand degrees during the duration of the spell and the draconic energies shattered their frozen bodies into pieces. All this done within the space of a mere ten seconds, in the tropical heat no less.

"Cool." was all Erio-san could say at the moment.

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Landing in front of the entrance, we looked into the caverns for a moment before a sense of foreboding came over us.

"Well," began Erio-san. "Let's get on with this."

"But first," added Lutecia-san "we'll need help guarding this place for a while."

A large Belkan magic symbol appeared beneath her as she chanted an incantation. Within a few moments, she materialised several large insect droids and a dark humanoid into being.

"Garyu!" greeted Erio-san.

The abovementioned humanoid gave a gruff nod of acknowledgement before he turned towards the entrance in preparation to defend it. The two dragons and Lutecia's new summons should be able to hold out for a while.

The team looked at each other and nodded, after which we began to fly underground, however paradoxical that sounds.

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The primitive looking caverns had electrical lamps crafted within its ceiling, filling the tunnels with a faint and unearthly glow. Not that it made it any easier; the tunnels were filled with skeletal soldiers and assorted shadow demons that attacked us on sight, making progress significantly tedious. Deciding we had conserved enough energy as it is, we proceeded to make short work of the undead summons with shooting arts and magically charged attacks. Even so, we kept running into them as we proceeded deeper into the tunnels.

"Man, even if we use our magic, they're still gonna wear us down by attrition if this keeps up." commented Erio-san as he skewered several skeletal soldiers in one move before slamming the whole lot against the cavern wall.

"I agree." I uttered as I cleaved several demons into halves in one smooth motion. "This is an unusually high number of summons, even by Yuber's standards."

"Look, the enemies are thinning out. Perhaps with the entrance blocked, they might not have limitless reinforcements as we thought." commented Vivio at the slower rate of enemy reinforcements in between her own battles.

"Then we should hurry. I'm a little worried for Garyu and the others." said Lutecia with worry in her voice, even though she still managed to gun down several others with unerring aim.

"Guys, the life-force signals are coming from this direction." pointed out the pink summoner who has an additional red theme added to her barrier jacket. "I've finally managed to narrow down the route with Agito-san's help. This way!"

"Alright." I replied, releasing several Halo Blade UEs down the chosen tunnel, felling several dozens summoned monsters before they even got close enough to howl at us.

"Let's go then."

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With Caro-san's directions, we managed to navigate our way though the maze-like cavern system until we reached a fork which both had life-force readings coming from their directions.

"Great… what should we do now?" asked Erio-san.

"We'll split into two groups. Vivio, Agito-san and I will take the left fork. The rest of you take the right. If you run into Yuber, do not engage. Fall back as best you can and send me a message."

The group nodded and dashed down their respective tunnels.

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"Lazlo, what's on your mind?" asked Vivio in concern as we ran down the tunnel.

"I have a feeling something is not right, but I can't put my finger on it. Agito-san, will you unison with Vivio just in case?"

"Hai." the fiery little sprite acknowledged and fused with Vivio, infusing her barrier jacket with a red theme.

"Oh look, the tunnel is widening out…"

We broke into a large cavern, one much larger than any we had seen earlier. The walls of the tunnel were stacked with large green cylinders, one piled on top of the other, making the walls glow with an eerie green glow under the illumination of the faint lighting.

"What the…" was all I could utter before I heard a loud gasp from my beloved blonde.

"No… no… they can't be… no!!!"

I raced over to her side and saw that her eyes were wide with panic and hysteria. She gripped my arm tightly and buried her head into me.

"They're clones! Incomplete clones! So many of them!"

I looked at the cylinders closely and true enough, I saw the foetal shapes of incomplete people within, suspended between life and death, never really knowing either.

"Yuber, what have you done?"

That's when it hit me.

"Agito-san! Are these the life-readings you had been getting?" I barked out.

"Yes! It's coming from… them!" replied the shrill voice.

"Argh!!!" screamed Vivio as her miscoloured pupils took on a dull shine. She began summoning her Fire spells and proceeded to thrash the place in berserk rage, flinging several Explosion spells into the walls, causing the cavern to rock violently as a raging inferno engulfed the poor unfortunate beings, ones that never even had a soul assigned to them, to which we can pray for.

_Death would be welcome release for them._

I opened a communications link with the other Forwards and the Claudia while Vivio continued razing the place down.

"Nanoha-san, Forwards, pull back immediately. This is all a trap! The life-force readings we had been getting are from a large stockpile of incomplete clones. The inhabitants are long dead and were brought back as the undead summons which we had been fighting all this time!"

"What!?" Nanoha-san exclaimed in disbelief.

"There's no reason to sacrifice any more lives here. Pull back!"

"Roger. All units pull back immediately. Forwards 1, give us a signal when you approach the siege on your way out. We'll open the breach then."

Just then, a loud familiar voice reverberated within the cavern.

"Who says you will be getting out of here?"

_Yuber._

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A lone black figure emerged from another the other end of the tunnel, walking with a nonchalant gait, his black blades reflecting the glow of the flames that surrounded the cavern. I gripped my own by reflex.

"Well done, Island Boy. You've discovered my plan, but you're of course too late."

Taking a quick glance at Vivio who had collapsed to her knees from energy drain, I snarled back.

"That's low, even for the likes of you."

"Low? My my, how you've gotten soft Island Boy. Did you really think I would be the sort to keep hostages? These clones are so much more convenient, just like that boy of yours."

My blood began to boil at that as I gave a mental command for Yukishiro to split into two. Her digital voice rang out.

"Daisho form."

The nodachi blade reverted back to regular length as a line appeared down the hilt, splitting it apart right where the two columns of cartridges within the clip met. Once pulled apart, each sword now possessed a thin white metallic blade from which white energy cackled and congealed, supplementing its form into that of full katanas.

"Just for that, I'm going to tear you into apart slowly." I growled, handling twin white blades this time instead of one.

"Let's play then."

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Black blades clashed violently with white as the two attacked the other with fierce abandon. A flash of black released a flurry of blonde but ultimately missing its mark while a spinning cyclone of white tore several gashes into a black body which had been momentarily off-balanced. Unfaltered, the two leapt at each other without the slightest reprieve, white blades extended in a thrust and slash while black ones parried before returning the favour with a hefty downward slash. Leaping away, the faint hum of rune magic and the digital voice of Yukishiro can be heard.

"Eight Devil Cut."

"Silhouette Cut."

A dozen images of the two swordsmen appeared and proceeded to lock themselves in combat with each other. The cavern was filled with the sounds of clashing steel, growls and battle cries. The scene resembled more that of a war than a duel between two men. Well, war isn't that far off. The images soon disappeared as the images proceeded to cut down each other simultaneously, exploding into black and white particles, leaving the original two, their four swords locked against each other in a test of strength.

"Oh ho, you've improved Island Boy."

Pushing away the black blades just enough to land a kick on the black figure, earning the two battling swordsmen just enough space to extend their runes out and blasted several spells, causing dark energies to collide into each other violently, although neither really found their intended targets. The two took to their swords again and clashed head on, occasionally releasing a hopeful blast to disrupt the routine. I launched into another spinning manoeuvre that flung my body into quick consecutive slash attacks that forced the other into parries.

"You're just losing it."

The black figure leapt out of range of my attack and proceeded into a flurry of thrusts of his own. Deflecting the blows by the slightest of margins, I stepped into his range with a thrust of my own which caused him to flinch on reflex, earning a growl in response. The black figure brought his blades up and launched a cross slash with all his strength, causing the single white I used to parry to buckle slightly under its impact. But turning the blade to one side, his momentum brought him forward past me as I circled past him in one step, bringing the other blade down to open another wound down his back.

"You're getting annoying Island Boy!"

He leapt once again with a series of slash attacks that forced me to guard once again as his rage increased his already impossible strength further. One particular blow caused me to stagger back a little, an invitation for him to close in further if any. He took the bait and charged towards me before he switched back to defence just in time to avoid being impaled by the thrust which I had laid in wait from my feint. The four blades quickly locked one another down into a contest of strength and willpower as the deadlock continued.

"For all your immortality, you're still just another foolish human in the end. Don't you remember? No man can kill me."

At that moment, a purple spear pierced its way through his back and appeared from his front, causing a look of disbelief to appear on his face and a half-smile from me when I recognised the familiar voice that followed.

"I am no man."

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Yuber roared out in anger more than pain and turned instinctively to deal with the impudent blonde when he suddenly seemed to remember who he was facing. Two flashes of white cut down into the shoulders of the black figure before I turned and severed the head and the torso with the follow-up slashes. However, instead of collapsing, the black figure merely faded away. I cursed as I looked around, scanning for my accursed nemesis.

"Damn it! Where are you Yuber!?"

"Over here." the evil voice hissed as I turned in his direction.

"Vivio!" was all I could utter before a pale blue light struck her from a hidden angle.

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The light soon faded, but Vivio was still standing. Heaving a sigh of relief, I rushed over to her, only to feel a dull thud before the sensation of warmth spilling from my left side. Looking down, I saw that Vivio's lance had thrust into my torso before I turned back to her face in disbelief. Her eyes were blank of life.

"Vivio…" was all I managed before throwing myself to a side to avoid a second sweep of her lance.

Parrying her wild attacks as best I could without hurting her, I searched the darkness for the sadistic monster responsible for this. A brief resonance from my rune confirmed his location and I broke away from Vivio using a Sonic Move UE, launching into a series of slashes which was, sure enough, parried with a black blade.

"Oh, you've found me." was all Yuber said.

I noticed the small capsule that he had on his left hand and my eyes widened.

"The Sovereign Rune!"

At that moment, I felt a sharp pain below my right shoulder as I felt a spear thrust deep into me from behind. Yuber gave another of his maniacal laughs as his slashed down my front as well, opening a diagonal gash on my chest before kicking me some distance away. Gritting my teeth through the pain, my eyes refocused to the two figures in front of me and my eyes widened in anger. Vivio was just standing helplessly in front of the demon while he rested his blade atop of her neck.

"Like I said, it seems like you're still only human. Goes to show as much since I found your weakness."

"I'll kill you if you touch her!" I growled out of pure aggression as my left had started to glow fiercely with black and scarlet.

"An empty threat. You know as well as I do that I cannot die."

"YUBER!!!" was all I cried out before I launched into Shukuchihō, the fastest accelerated movement available to me.

But it was too late, his blade pulled back just enough before thrusting deep into her side, stabbing the very body of my beloved Vivio. Growling in wrath, I made a wild swing at the demon as I broke out of the Shukuchihō in front of my Vivio. The bastard merely faded away as manaical laugher reverberated against the walls of the cavern. As I turned towards my love, I felt my right skewered once again by her lance. Even in her dying state, the Sovereign rune's powers held hold of her. I ignored the lance embedded in me and pulled her into an embrace, focusing the powers of my Flowing rune unto her wound.

The glow in her eyes suddenly returned to normal and she started screaming hysterically upon realising the hurt she had done to me. Her psyche broke down as the recognition of the fatal wounds she inflicted on me suddenly flooded unto her mind at once, overloading it with hysterical guilt and horror, leaving her incapable of anything other than tears and screams. Amidst the pain from my own grevious wounds and the suffering of my beloved, my mind blanked out and only one line of thought remained, the wrath and hatred for the demon responsible for this. Unconsciously, my rune reacted to this wrath and hatred as my will and command, allowing it enough reason to act out its own volition.

_OBLITERATE EVERYTHING._

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Back on the Claudia, everyone looked in horror at the planet as a fierce black and scarlet glow consumed its surface, expanding outwards relentlessly. The two dragons carrying the remaining Forwards 1 members back barely cleared the breach before the red and black light reached the skeletal creatures as well, although it would eventually threaten to engulf the whole fleet as its expansion showed no signs of halting.

"Lazlo…" was all Takamichi Shiro could say before he flew out of the flight deck in preparation for what needs to be done.

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Just as the two dragons and the three forwards reached the Claudia, Nanoha went forward to them with eyes lidded with anxiety and worry.

"Where's Vivio and Lazlo? I couldn't get them on the comm links."

Neither of the Forwards spoke, choosing instead to turn towards the hell they had just returned from.

"Sorry… they..." was all Erio could say.

"No…" gasped Nanoha weakly, as Fate held her distraught form up.

At that precise moment, all the members of the fleet looked on with awestruck horror at the sight before them. The planet which had been blanketed in red and black began to crumble inwardly, disintegrating slowly but definitely into black nothingness. The skeletal creatures that had besieged the planet fell at an even alarming rate as the red and black light suddenly increased in intensity and pulsation, instantaneously reducing them to little more than dust on contact. The invading light was about to reach the main fleet itself when a white circular barrier appeared from a little distance up front, holding out against the onslaught of the red and black as best it could even though it began to slip every now and then, causing the barrier to be pushed back.

As the black and scarlet light crashed upon the white barrier like waves upon a cliff, a sharp pain attacked every member of the fleet, prompting everyone to hold their heads as loud screams of pain, anguish and torment seeped directly into their minds, ever increasing in volume. However, the psychic aftershocks of the black and scarlet light were nothing compared to the heartrending wails of the despairing mother before them.

"VIVIO!!!"

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Author's Notes:

This is the updated version of this chapter. Well, I wanted more of a crisis this time, so I'm hoping this count sufficiently as one. Quite a bit of action scenes here, but the focus should be on the rather violent ending. I'm generally not very good with pathos, so this is kinda my experiment. If there are any comments or reviews, they'll be much appreciated.

There might be a lot of unexplained things lying around, but I'll save it for the next chapter. Undue explanations here might take the edge of the feeling I'm trying to invoke. Next chapter then.

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Omake 16: Lazlo's character tales: Sierra Mikain, Sasarai & Persmerga

(A month before the emergency, when V manages to coax another few stories from L)

L: I'll tell you about three friends… or maybe they're more of acquaintances again.

V: Okay, I'm listening.

L: The first is Sierra Mikain. She's a vampire and the bearer of the Moon rune.

V: V-v-vampire? You mean the type that sucks blood?

L: Yes. That kind of vampire, but don't worry, she's managed to kick the habit after her many years in existence and the power of the Moon rune. She's actually much older than me, but looks slightly younger.

V: …

L: You're not going to do your jealous thing again?

V: Well, I figure you would rather prefer my bite to hers…

L: … anyway, moving on. The next person is Sasarai. He's one of the bishops holding up Harmonia at the moment and the bearer of the True Earth rune. He's also Luc's biological brother.

V: So… he's a clone too…

L: Yes, but he's gotten over it. He's quite a nice fella, but somehow, we keep standing on opposite sides. We gave each other far too many beatings to remember, but generally, nothing too life threatening yet.

V: L…

L: Oh, and on a technicality, he may count as your uncle too, since he is a descendent of Hikusaak and Nanoha-san is a descendent of an incarnation of Hikusaak. Distant relatives perhaps.

V: Hmm… I'll ask him how he feels about it if I ever meet up with him.

L: Finally, the last person I'll introduce is Persmerga. He's… unique. I've never really been able to tell if he bears a True Rune, or if he's even human at that, but he's… always hunting down Yuber whenever he gets the chance.

V: Really? He sounds like a good person then.

L: Well… I can't really tell since all he ever does is to go after Yuber, killing anyone who stands in his way…

V: So… he's as bad as Yuber in that sense?

L: You didn't hear that from me.


	21. Chapter 21

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 20: Reason

_Finally… it's over. A good long rest is far overdue. No more Great Wars, no more errands, and no more feeling guilty for being alive anymore. There really shouldn't be any regrets to it; I've lived far longer than I should have. If anything… the only regret I have is…_

"VIVIO!" I cried out, snapping my eyes open, before immediately wincing at the pain that returned all at once.

"Are you daft? Stop all this foolish struggling at once! You do not seem to comprehend the great lengths I took to preserve your inane life! Any lesser man would have died several times from your wounds. Talk about all the ungrateful…" hissed a familiar cold voice.

I blinked for a moment before uttering out in recognition.

"Zerase?"

"What is it?" she replied with the same nonchalant airs.

I looked around me and found myself floating in space, cocooned within a sphere made up of the pale blue glow of Zerase's Star Rune. A little distance off my right was another scantily-clad sight for sore eyes and my beloved blonde.

"Jeane!? Vivio, how is she!?"

'Oh hi there Lazzie! Looks like you're awake. Her? Not bad really. You have really good taste as usual. A little young though, but…"

"No! I meant how are her injuries?" I snapped back with undue venom.

"My my, is that the way you should treat the nice sexy lady who took the trouble to heal her the best she could?" she winked back, never losing her flirtatious nature. Frankly I wasn't in the mood, but she was right, and I felt bad about it.

"No… no it isn't. Thank you Jeane, but really, how is she?"

The pink-haired enchantress finally let her flirtatious smile down into one of genuine concern, one of the few times I've ever seen it.

"You really have it bad for her, don't you? A pity… but don't worry. Leknaat had me bring about a Resurrection Rune just in case, and between the Resurrection Rune, Zerase's Flowing Rune and two of the best mages on Magician's Isle, I think it's suffice to say that she'll live. She's just sleeping for now."

I finally slumped back onto the ethereal floor of the sphere in relief, despite the pain my body is trying to tell me.

"That's good to know."

The enchantress continued, "Although I didn't really get how she managed to survive the hit. It pierced right through her body, puncturing her lungs and just narrowing missing her spine… perhaps it's her armour or something within her that deflected the blow."

I pulled myself to my Vivio's side and patted her hand, doing a brief scan of her body and calling out to the sprite within.

"Agito-san."

"I'm here." a familiar voice replied, but one weak and without the usual fiery spark.

"Thank you for saving Vivio. Are you okay?"

"No thanks necessary. Saving my meister is what unison devices do. Besides, all I could do was to deflect that demon's sword away slightly, despite using almost all of my powers."

"Thank you nonetheless. Rest now Agito-san. I'll get us back to the fleet somehow in the meanwhile."

A long silence indicated that she had taken my advice. I heaved another great sigh of relief before easing myself back a little. Suddenly, one thought came to mind.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but what in the worlds are you two doing here?"

The enchantress's eyes regained her usual mischief and coy at the question and flashed another of her flirtatious smiles.

"Someone here lost a bet at chess."

"Be quiet Jeane!"

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"So Matron…" I muttered in contemplation.

"Yes. Fortunately Little Viki's aim is much better. Nevertheless it's been a long time since… well… actually I have never seen her make an intervention as direct as this one. You must really mean something to her." Jeane mused aloud kindly, drawing me deeper into thought.

"But really, I expected more for someone of your years than to meekly walk into Yuber's trap. You do, of course, realise that it was a trap from the very beginning, don't you?" began the ever critical Traveller of the Stars.

"Are you just going take me to task without an explanation again, Zerase?" I replied quietly, my displeasure seeping in.

"No, this time I'll tell you directly. That's exactly how far gone your stupidity has become. Just take a look at your own rune."

I turned to my left hand and flexed it a little, drawing out a faint glow of black and scarlet. Immediately I felt a long since forgotten sensation of warmth fading away in reaction to the exertion.

"I see… so it's reverted back to Atonement…"

"Yes. That was Yuber's plan all along, to get you lost within your own wrath enough to use the rune in anger without remorse. The next time you release that much power, you'll definitely die in the process."

"It's my life to throw away. I'll do whatever it takes to protect those I care about." I replied defiantly. Zerase gave a ridiculing laugh at that.

"Ha. It's that mortal girl isn't it? Perhaps I was wrong about you all along; you're still just another foolish human. For someone of your years, you should've known better than to care so much for a pathetic mortal girl like that…

"

I raised my white blade at her as I growled. "Don't you even think about finishing that sentence."

"Or you'll what? I might not be your equal before, but in your condition you can barely even take on a dragon. And really, aren't you just a bit too conceited at the moment? Did you think that everything was about you?" continued the crazy druid.

I lunged forward and placed the flat of my blade against her pale neck. "I don't want to hear that coming from you."

"Just for that, I'll show you how much of an idiot you have regressed into. Yuber has discovered a way to drain the power of existences from other True Runes to strengthen the Hachifusa, this you may know. But have you realised that its effects are not merely arithmetic? Draining a True Rune causes an imbalance in the cosmic order, creating untold chaos and destruction from the weakening of the drained runes force in the world. This resonance effect feeds the Hachifusa's powers as the chaos and destruction become definite existences, increasing the anti-existence powers it holds by a factor of five or more for each rune. And right now, Yuber not only has the Hachifusa and the Sovereign Rune, he's heading for the Beast Rune at this very moment as well."

Undeterred, I growled back.

"I'll just have to stop him right! All this madness will end when I kill Yuber again right!? Then I'll just do that!"

The lady in black gave another derisive laugh.

"You really think too highly of yourself human. Perhaps Yuber was mistaken in the same way since he took such lengths to deal with you as he had. Did you really think one man can change the world? That you'll be able to equal the work of the 108 stars by yourself? The Hachifusa would have gained more than ten times the power of a normal True Rune by the time you reach him. You're outnumbered, and outpowered. If you face him like that, you're merely going to offer him your own Rune of Punishment on a silver platter. That rune will kill you before you even manage to elicit enough power to equal one spell of his. What then, foolish human?"

As unwilling as I was, I saw the truth in her scornful words. I removed the blade from her neck and slumped back in thought. Zerase merely continued.

"The danger to the worlds is real. By draining the Sovereign Rune, the Beast Rune and eventually your Rune of Punishment, that would result in the collapse of order and ruling authorities, the loss of basic instincts within people making them mere blanks, as well as losing the propensity for forgiveness. The general state of chaos in the worlds will lead to an inevitable route to destruction for every world. There is also a chance for all four runes to be destroyed in the process, collapsing multiple worlds at once due to the dimensional rifts resulting just from the energy released itself. Either way, the worlds are doomed. Yuber wins."

My brain unwillingly absorbed all that information despite my reluctance to admit its truth.

_Is this really the end this time? The eventuality that I had discussed with Luc so many years earlier? If it is so… then it really can't be helped…_

A sudden urge compelled me to look at my blonde lover, an urge stirring somewhere with my left chest cavity. I made my way over to her and cradled her with my arms, easing her head unto the position on my shoulder that she has made her very own.

_No… i cannot accept this end, or this eventuality. Perhaps Luc had been right all along… his eminent love for all people having shown him the truth that eluded my closed heart. But no… I'll never be able to measure up to my own prized student in that aspect. I'm not that great of a person. There is really only one reason for me. One reason if any, if I were to fight with all I had to save this world. Perhaps one person would be more correct…_

"So you say that the Hachifusa will be ten times more powerful than my Rune?"

"It's a rough estimate."

"So you think I won't be able to best him this time then?"

"Are you daft? Have you really been listening all this time?"

I gave a cold and wry smile, one steeled by a confidence that confounded the black druid.

"There's really only one way to find out."

"Lazlo En Kuldes! You can't be serious! Even if you are a foolish human, you are a rune bearer as well. Don't throw your life away for no rhyme or reason. Say something to his thick skull Jeane!" shrieked Zerase in exasperation.

"Lazlo…" began the unusually serious looking Jeane.

"No, it's not for nothing. For all the Great Wars I've participated in, none bore the same weight and meaning to me as this one does. Within these few short years, I've found both a reason to live and a reason to fight. I couldn't have asked for more. It's not for nothing. Not anymore…" I continued without looking at them, choosing instead to gently ruffle the hair of my beloved.

"Besides, I have a trump card. Something I picked up during my time here."

I raised my white blade and a magical circuit appeared before me, one which I edited with my mind, causing sections of the circuit to flow and interchange while a new blue line of circuits wrapped themselves around my hand, continuing to do so around the entire length of my body. I adjusted the design here and there calmly, even as a certain pale druid was screaming at me.

"What manner of sorcery is this? You can't really think anything in this world can come close, even remotely, to the ultimate power of the True Runes!"

Satisfied, I made a mental indication for Yukishiro to save the design down, since it'll take far too much effort to recreate it from my mind.

"Yukishiro, commit the circuit into memory."

"Yes, my sovereign. Please choose a name for the new program." her digital voice rang out, startling the other two mages momentarily.

"I'll call it Martyr's Call." A blue blinking light in Yukishiro's gem acknowledged the name. I turned to give two confused looking mages another wry smile. "I might not survive this spell, but I'm damn sure Yuber won't know what hit him either. This crisis will end, by my hand or otherwise."

"Lazlo…"

"I'm sorry for being a selfish kid till the end, but I'd like to spend what moments I have remaining with my love. If you would be so kind…"

"But…" Zerase was stopped by a tug on her arms by the pink enchantress, pulling her to the other end of the sphere.

"The nerve… talk about foolish humans…" mumbled the black druid as she settled into a sitting position.

"Oh?" began the rune mistress bemusedly. "I wonder who the fool here is for revealing too much information then necessary."

Zerase's reaction surprised Jeane, as she spotted pale lips turning upwards ever so slightly.

"To err is human no? Perhaps I'm still only human as well."

Jeane's smile eventually gave way to another of her genuine ones, one composed not from practice but fondness.

"Oh? Perhaps I'm the only fool here then."

"Huh?" was all the black druid could utter before the rune mistress plomped herself down unusually close to her position. Smiling ever so coyly, she began to snuggle up to the puzzled druid.

"I'm a bit cold. As you can see, I'm underdressed for this trip I suppose."

"Suit yourself." came the gruff reply, her face turning away from the enchantress. The said enchantress flashed a gentle smile and a contented sigh; she had not missed the ever so faint tinge on the ridge of the other's pale nose.

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Meanwhile, back on the Claudia, Takamichi Shiro has just returned to the flight deck, more than a little worn out. Kyoya and Miyuki came up to receive him.

"Dad! Are you alright?" asked the elder daughter of the family.

"Just a little tired. That Lazlo really packs quite a punch, as to be expected."

At the mention of the blonde rune bearer, the two's face got solemn, prompting the eldest Takamichi to ask.

"What's the matter?"

Miyuki looked back ruefully at her inconsolable sister being comforted as best as possible by Fate and the other forwards while Kyoya spoke out.

"Lazlo and Vivio… they didn't make it back with the other forwards."

Shiro blinked for a moment before closing his eyes in concentration, causing the rune on his head to glow with a white light. He heaved a small sigh of relief as he, sure enough, felt a familiar resonance a little distance off from where the planet used to be.

"Who wants to tell Nanoha that they're still out there?"

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Sure enough, as the Claudia drew nearer to the site of the previous planet once the last of the red and black light had died down, its scanners spotted a faint glowing blue sphere. The ship gradually drew close enough to retrieve the precious parcel.

"Vivio!" exclaimed Nanoha-san in relief as she raced down the flight deck towards my small party. I gave a faint smile as I carried our beloved blonde to her as best I could without waking her.

Upon reaching us, Nanoha-san gave a gasp when she noticed the wound and blood on Vivio's barrier jacket. She was about to scream my head off when she noticed that I was in even worse shape, the entire white of own barrier jacket dyed red with blood and several gaping wounds on my chest. I lowered my gaze and mouthed out an apology.

"I'm sorry. I failed both you and Vivio."

"Don't say that." began my madam captain with gentle eyes. "I should've known you'll rather die trying to protect her if necessary. I'm sorry to have doubted you."

A small cough alerted us to the presence of my other two companions.

"Oh. This is Zerase, Traveller of the Stars, and this is Jeane, Head Rune Mistress of Magician's Isle. They're mages from my world, as well as the ones who saved and healed us out there."

"Oh. Thank you Zerase-san, Jeane-san. Words can't even express how grateful I am for the two of you." went Nanoha-san appreciatively. A couple of courtly nods expressed their reply.

"I'm sorry to rain on this parade, but I have bad news." interjected Admiral Chrono who had just arrived on the scene. "I'm afraid we'll have to take Lazlo into custody for the act of planetary genocide and destruction. The warrant went out suspiciously quickly, but we have no choice but to comply with it. Of course, this is only temporary. We know what really happened, but we have to convey those thoughts to the superiors."

"Sou na!" objected Nanoha-san loudly while the other forwards nodded in approval. I raised my hand to halt the argument that hadn't even begun to happen yet.

"Even though I did not kill the residents of the planet, the fact remains that they died because of me, and I did destroy the planet in wrath. There are no half-truths there. I don't mind carrying these sins with me. It's nothing new. I've done worse in my life."

"Lazlo…"

I handed my precious cargo to Nanoha-san who received her tenderly, before leaning forward to give her what could possibly be our last kiss. Straightening up, I patted her head and ruffled her hair slightly like what I usually.

"I know I needn't say this, but please take good care of her."

"Of course."

I turned towards the other forwards who I have become so familiar with.

"Thanks for everything. I can't say enough to express what I feel, but it's been fun. Truly."

Theirs head nodded while I went with Admiral Chrono towards the detention cell. As the forwards began to murmur among themselves, Fate turned to Nanoha who was carrying their blonde daughter.

"Why did he say thanks like we would goodbye…"

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A few hours passed by before I decided enough time had elapsed. Turning my attention to the restraints on my hands, I focused a little of my rune's energy on them, wincing at the slight pain it caused. The restraints began to crumble and dissolve into nothingness. After all, nothing of this world's construct could possibly hold back the powers of my rune. I went over to the energy containment cell for Yukishiro and dissolved it in the same manner, materialising my barrier jacket and sword. I made short work of the reinforced door soon thereafter as well, cutting it down to halves, quarters and eighths.

I made my way through the door, expecting some sort of an alarm to go off. Instead, I was greeted by a black druid and a pink rune mistress.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Zerase disinterestedly.

"I'm going after Yuber." was my curt reply.

"Do you even know where he is?"

"I made a divination earlier. I know his rough location."

"Are you sure of this?"

"Yes. Please look after Vivio and these people, should anything happens."

"If you have no confidence of winning, you shouldn't even go."

"There are things one must do for the sake of the ones we love. That's what being human means for me."

With that, no further questions were directed and I made my way towards the flight deck.

"That's why I keep saying… foolish human…"

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Along the way to the flight deck, I made use of illusion magic to make myself invisible to the crew and simply walked all the way there. Things were going smooth enough, until I noticed two figures lying in wait there.

"Lazlo." said Fate-san the moment she saw me.

"Is my illusion magic really so bad?" I smiled back wryly.

"No. It's just that no one else has business here at this hour." explained Nanoha-san.

"I see. Are you going to stop me from leaving? I am, after all, a Class 1 intergalactic felon." I joked self-depreciatively.

"No. It's partly our fault that you got roped into this mess of ours… so we really have no right to stop you from leaving." explained Fate-san sadly.

"Thanks." I said as I activated HiMAT phase 3, charging up my wings.

"What about Vivio? Are you going to leave her just like that?" blurted out Nanoha-san out of a sudden.

I gave her a gentle smile.

"She's the reason I'm going. There are some things only the world's strongest mage can do after all."

"But…" she didn't manage to finish before I cast several binding spells towards them, restraining them just enough without being too uncomfortable.

"You'll be in trouble if you two just let me go like that. Sorry for that though."

"Lazlo…"

"This… is goodbye. Farewell."

With that, a blinding flash of bluish white light exploded as a streak of bluish white bolted from the flight deck and illuminated the darkness of space in front their eyes one last time, leaving no further trace of his existence other a flurry of blue and white particles.

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Author's Notes:

This chapter is rather static, but it's really kinda necessary to explain all that has happened previously as well as what will happen later on. I hope no one thought that I would let my two characters die… the impact wouldn't really be what I was aiming for. But hey, I brought in two of Suikoden's babes, Jeane and Zerase. They might seem a little out of character, but I'm always imagined them as a kind-hearted flirt and a misunderstood tsundere… not that I spend a lot of time thinking about them of course. They make a cute couple though, so I thought I mess around with them a little.

With regards to the doomsday plot, I hope Zerase's account is kinda clear. Well, according to the lore that I've built up, it's possible no? Let me know if it isn't and I'll amend it slightly if necessary.

A few references here might be necessary, so I'll include them.

Resurrection Rune: A high grade rune that focuses on mainly healing spells.

Zerase: A conceited but powerful mage from Suikoden V. She's immensely powerful as a mage and bears the Star Rune, the daughter rune of the Night Rune. She's really… blunt and caustic, and that's putting it mildly and hates "humans". Since one of her titles is "Traveller of the Stars", I used her as the means of saving Lazlo and Vivio.

Jeane: A flirtatious and powerful rune mistress from the Suikoden series. She's a pretty powerful mage and specialises in lightning magic. She is also rather scantily clad and attracts men to her like flies. She bears a mysterious Charm rune, which I'll probably conceptualise it as a daughter rune of the Circle rune as inspired by the lore generated by WraithRune's fanfic, Silent Watcher.

That's all for now. Again, reviews are welcome. The story is coming to a close soon, so it would be a good time to comment on what you would like to see later on. Constructive criticisms are welcome too.

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Omake 17: Lazlo's character tales: Edge

(During the night before the emergency, as small talk in Nanoha-san's room)

V: Hey, tell me more about people you know.

L: Hmm… I've told you almost everyone I count as friends… barely or otherwise. Oh, there's this acquaintance of mine called Edge.

V: Edge? Is he a rune bearer too?

L: Well… sort of. He carries the Star Dragon Sword, a sword which is the chosen manifestation of the Night Rune. So technically, he's not a rune bearer, but has the powers of a True Rune at his disposal.

V: That's unusal…

L: Well, I thought that the fact that the sword talks was even more unusual… or that the sword had an attitude problem…

V: Hee… Lucky Yukishiro is such a polite lady then.

L: Yes. I'm most grateful.

V: Anyone else?

(L thinks for a moment as images of Jeane, Viki, Little Viki and Zerase come to mind…)

L: No, no one else safe enough to mention.

V: Safe?

L: N-nothing.


	22. Chapter 22

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 21: Heir to the Winds

_Eh? How come everything is black…?_

"_Vivio? Vivio? Mou, how long are you going to keep on sleeping like this. Vivio!"_

_I moaned and rubbed my eyes gingerly. "Hai… I'm up now Nanoha-mama."_

"_Mou. You're going to be late for training! Your instructor is going to be mad at you."_

"_No he won't." I turned my nose up at her with mock pride. "He loves me very much."_

"_Haha, I'm sure. Now go quickly, before he changes his mind."_

"_Hai."_

_I got out of bed, brushed my teeth, washed my face and changed out of my pyjamas into my training fatigues in record time. Congratulating__ myself on my speed, I gave Nanoha-mama a quick peck before bolting out the door towards the training field. Soon enough I spotted the other forwards._

"_Ohiyo, Erio, Caro, Lutecia!" I greeted cheerfully._

"_Ah, the chibiko has finally woken up! We probably have Nanoha-san to thank for that." chided Lutecia who was shaking her head._

"_That's because Vivio is a sleepyhead. Isn't that right Fried?" added a smiling Caro unnecessarily, while Fried gave a small squeak in agreement._

"_Hontou. To think our new Guard Wing is so slow. I don't ever remember being so slow when I was in your position Vivio." commented a nodding Erio._

"_Mou! I'm not that late!" I insisted, puffing out my cheeks._

"_Hai hai, it's a good thing the new instructor hasn't arrived yet." said Caro as she pinched my cheeks lightly._

"_New instructor? What happened to Lazlo?" I asked with eyes wide with confusion. _

"_Who?" went the three forwards._

"_Lazlo! The new Guard Wing Left? Our trainer?" I answered rapidly. This must be some kind of joke._

"_Guard Wing Left? Vivio, are you really awake yet? There's only one Guard Wing in Mobile Section 6, and that's you?" answered Erio matter-of-factly._

"_No! There must be some kind of mistake! He's a blonde mage from another world! He's been with us for almost two years!" I screamed out, insisting that I wasn't imagining things. _

"_Hai hai. Here comes the new instructor. We can discuss your daydreams or night dreams later chibiko." replied Lutecia dismissively._

"_Mou… I keep telling you guys…" I froze when I heard a chillingly familiar voice._

"_Everyone's here? Good! Now, let's play. Be sure to entertain me humans." _

_My head snapped towards the source of the voice to find a blonde man dressed in black __suit with a black bowler hat. His hands held two familiar looking blades and his face was locked in the same derisive sneer._

"_Yuber! What are you doing here!" I shrieked, turning my lance towards the black figure._

"_What am I doing here?" he repeated humourously. "I'm the new instructor."_

"_No! Our instructor is Lazlo! What have you done with him?" I cried out, gripping my lance tightly as I got angrier and angrier._

"_Lazlo? Who is this Lazlo you're talking about?" he replied with that sickening grin on his face._

"_Argh! What have you done with my Lazlo!?" I yelled at the top of my voice, thrusting my lance deep into the centre of the black figure. He just stood there without even flinching._

"_Lazlo? Who is this Lazlo you're talking about? Is he someone who's even supposed to exist in this world?" he asked with mock concern, the same grin plastered._

"_ARGH!!! TELL ME WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY LAZLO!!!???" I screamed out as I impaled him over and over with my lance, staining white and purple with deep crimson. The demon merely gave another chorus of his maniacal laughter before another cryptic reply._

"_Oh, you mean Island Boy? Hahaha, I didn't do anything to him. The question is, what have you done to him?" _

"_What…" I didn't manage to finish my sentence when the visage of the demon impaled on my lance suddenly blurred and changed into a familiar blonde form. Blood was pouring out of the wounds on his body and his face was covered with blood. I gasped and let go of the lance that was embedded in the side of his body, looking at my hands which were unable to stop trembling. Staggering ever so slightly, his hand reached out to me weakly and mouthed a silent question._

"_Vivio… why?" _

_I gripped my head within my hands and screamed with everything I had as my boyfriend's image began to crumble slowly, along with the rest of world around me. _

"_LAZLO!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!"_

_I continued my hysterical wailing even as the last bits of the world crumbled and lapsed back into darkness, with nothing but my own screams echoing around me. But the light suddenly came back up with a blinding glare and illuminated a grey world before me, one with nothing save a seemingly endless expanse of grey in sight. The abruptness of the change shook me out of my hysteria for a moment and suddenly I couldn't hear anything at all, no even the echoes of my previous screams. Silence. Total silence. I could hear my own thoughts deafening my ears in this silence while nothing stirred in the vast grey. I was about to scream out in renewed hysteria at this new turn of events when I suddenly felt a faint breeze. _

_I looked around for the source of the breeze, intent on just finding anything that moves in this stillness. All of a sudden there it was again. Except this time, I could just barely make out a faint voice, before the grey collapsed around me and plunged me into darkness once again. But I didn't scream out this time; my mind was caught by the faint, cold, but yet, mysteriously gentle voice I heard. _

"_Would you like to save him?"_

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"Lazlo!!!" I cried out as my eyes snapped open.

"Vivio! Vivio, calm down." came a familiar gentle voice as I felt myself enveloped in an equally familiar warmth. I burrowed my head into her bosom as my tears started coming out uncontrollably.

"Nanoha-mama! I killed him! I killed Lazlo!"

"There, there. You did no such thing." went Fate-mama as she patted my back to soothe my crying.

"Sou." agreed Nanoha-mama as she hugged me a little closer. "He carried you back to the Claudia himself."

"But I… I stabbed him with my lance… he couldn't…" I stuttered as I recollected the events that happened earlier.

"Some friends of his saved the two of you. You were hurt pretty badly too, but you're alright now right? You're in your Aunt Carim's room right now just in case, and Shamal's on the standby." reasoned Fate-mama gently.

"That's right." whispered Nanoha-mama as her hug got tighter. I felt the back of my neck get a little wet when I realised she was crying too. "I was so afraid I'd lose you again too."

"I'm sorry…" I mumbled into her as I hugged her fully too. Fate-mama patted me on the head too. Things were finally returning to normal… wait…

"Mamas, where is Lazlo then?"

My two mamas looked at each other apprehensively before Fate-mama cleared her throat uneasily.

"Vivio… Lazlo was wanted by the TSAB council for the act of planetary genocide and destruction… he broke out of solitary confinement and left…"

I blinked for a moment as I took in the news.

"Did he say where he was going or what he's going to do?"

"Well…" replied Nanoha-mama hesitantly. "He said something about doing something for you and something only the world's strongest mage can do…"

I gasped and slumped back into Nanoha-mama's arms. _No… he couldn't…_

"What is it Vivio?" asked Fate-mama in concern at my reaction.

"He's going after Yuber by himself! He's going to face him for my sake! I can't let him do that! I can't! I…" I felt the faint prick of an injector and turned just in time to see Nanoha-mama pressing the blue object against my arm.

"Nanoha-mama…" I protested weakly as my vision began to swim around me.

"You need to rest for now Vivio. Fate-mama and I will go see your Aunt Carim to do something about Lazlo. But please, sleep for now."

"Hai…" was the last word I could muster before my vision went black again.

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"…"

_Hmmm?_

"…"

_Who's there?_

"…"

My eyes opened once again. I had no idea how long I slept but the room along with the sky outside was already dark. Brushing the stray strands of blond hair back, I looked around the room to find that the door was open. There wasn't anyone there, but the door remained open. A little puzzled, I reached for the necklace Lazlo had given me just a few days ago as well as my feather-shaped device. I felt a little uneasy handling the very lance that I had covered in my boyfriend's blood just a little while ago, but it wasn't Velvet Lancer's fault. I brought the device to my mouth and gave it a little kiss.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't mind, my friend." the female digital voice answered.

Clenching the device in my hand, I went out of the door to the room. The corridors were dark as well; it seems like the lights weren't working, or that there was a power outage. Just as I was about to decide where to go, I saw a pale green spark appear at one end of the corridor before it disappeared over the left fork. My interest piqued, I made my way to the end of the corridor in time to see the pale green spark make another turn. I dashed down the corridor just in time to see it make yet another turn. And thus, I followed the spark in this manner until I eventually reached a room with huge high security doors. Doors that were opened and left ajar precariously. Swallowing a little and clenching my device tighter, I entered the room warily until I realised where I was; the Saint Church vault. And there, shining brilliantly in the room was a green symbol and that strangely gentle voice from my dream.

"Are you willing to give up your life for the one you love?"

"Yes." came my reply with no hesitation.

A short pause passed before the voice spoke again.

"You remind me of her… Take good care of him."

Before I could reply, the glow of the symbol intensified to a blinding glare. I brought my hands up to shield my eyes instinctively but instead, I felt a jolt on my right hand after which it began to throb lightly. As the glare began to drop, I lowered my right hand and realised that there was a new symbol there that was glowing with a pale green light.

"Luc-san…"

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At that moment, a bright blue flash appeared in the middle of the room and a faint cloaked figure appeared, floating in the centre of the room, one with unseeing eyes, pale complexion and a gentle smile. With a low melodic voice, she spoke.

"Greetings, Takamichi Vivio. I see that the True Wind rune has finally chosen a successor after all this time."

"Who…" I started in surprise.

"My name is Leknaat, and I am known as the Keeper of the Balance. I take it that you would have heard of me by now from Lazlo."

"Leknaat… you're his Matron!"

She smiled fondly at that.

"Yes. He tends to call me by that moniker."

"Leknaat-san! Please, you have to help me save Lazlo!" I pleaded with all my hope. To my dismay, she shook her head sadly.

"Lazlo's fate is not in my hands. I've done and will do what I can, but everything now rests on the Stars of Destiny at this point of time."

"I don't understand! What is it with the Stars of Destiny? Who am I supposed to find in order to save him!?" I exclaimed agitatedly.

The ghostly figure remained as calm as ever as she called out.

"Zerase, Jeane. Please show yourselves."

Two beautiful but oddly dressed women suddenly appeared behind me; one was dressed in a black cloak, the other… can hardly be considered dressed…

"What is it now?" snapped the lady in black. "I've already acceded to your requests to perform those theatrics earlier, what more do you expect of me?"

"Zerase, please reveal the Tablet of Destiny. I believe it is time."

"Oh very well."

That woman called Zerase raised her hands and a pale blue light followed by the symbol of twinkling stars appeared overhead and a giant stone tablet appeared out from it, resting gently against the wall of the vault. Curious, I went over to take a closer look in time to see that gold words began inscribing themselves onto the black tablet. I gasped in shock as I saw the names near the top of the tablet.

"Leknaat-san…"

The ghostly figure merely smiled towards me.

"Please let Lazlo know that he was never meant to be the Tenkai star for this Gathering of the Stars. His is the yet unlit Tenei, the Heavenly Protector who guides and supports the Tenkai."

"Leknaat-san…" all I could do was to repeat her name.

"Allow me extend my greetings to you once again. Well met, Takamichi Vivio, bearer of the True Wind and… the real Tenkai star."

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"B-but how can I be the Tenkai star?" I blurted out in panic.

"Even I am not certain how the higher powers act, but surely you must have had some inkling of your destiny before this. The Stars have been gathering around you no?" the blind seer explained patiently.

"But I was sure they were gathering around Lazlo!"

She smiled that fond smile of hers once again.

"It only seems that way because you were around him all this time. I have to admit that this providence is quite remarkable an arrangement, if any, from the higher powers that I've witnessed so far. Should the crisis occur 2 years earlier, you would undoubtedly be ill-suited for the role. But Fate had decreed that the Tenei star be sent to guide you then, hence allowing you to be prepared for your own role as the Tenkai now. Thus, like I said previously, Lazlo's fate is no longer in my hands. In fact, please allow me to beseech you. Please save my poor boy."

"But how am I supposed to do that?" I asked, still really confused about the sudden enormity of the task imposed on me. I suddenly remembered what Lazlo had mentioned once.

"_My advice to you: run like the wind before she asks you to do something. That something is usually tiring and tedious…"_

The scantily clad lady offered a suggestion in her… suggestive tone…

"One might start by gathering all 108 stars. That seems like a safe bet, and what Lazzie would do."

_Lazzie…_

Shaking my head a bit to clear out the irrelevant thoughts for now, I looked towards the Tablet of Destiny closely.

"Wow… not only are all of the Forwards' names on it, but even Aunt Suzuka and her maids?"

"Yes, one need not act directly to be considered as a Star of Destiny. The thoughts and well-wishes of those who would lend you their support will also validate them as such." explained Lazlo's Matron gently.

"Leknaat-san… your name is on it too."

The pale visage smiled once again.

"Yes. Well, I've intervened far too much for me to claim that I'm not uninvolved in this Gathering of the Stars, but it does not matter. It is… for a worthy cause no?"

I couldn't help but smile back at someone who cares as much for my Lazlo. I turned my attention back to the tablet and counted the unlit stars.

"There are still quite a few unlit stars… any ideas?"

"Hmph… stupid human." scoffed the black druid lady.

"What- ?" I uttered, stopping myself in time from getting into a catfight with her. After all, she's lending her power as the Tenkan, so I'll endure her for now.

"That fiend Yuber should have attained ten times the power of a normal True Rune by this time. Even if you now bear the True Wind, you will still not be a match for him. It's only logical that you enlist the help of the other rune bearers." she suggested… in a ridiculing sort of way.

"Can we really do that?" I exclaimed, excited at the prospect of finally having the means to save my boyfriend.

The pale visage was looking away and passing someone a long feather before she noticed she was being addressed and nodded slightly.

"But to do that, we'll need their consent before they can be brought in as Stars of Destiny. Their situation is different from the stars that belong to your world to begin with. Then of course, we will need something called Blinking Rune Pieces."

"Where can we find something like that?" I asked.

"Well," answered Jeane-san while pointing at something encased in a containment field. "Over there actually."

I went over to take a look.

"But these are jewel seeds! It's an unstable trans-dimensional power source." I exclaimed.

"Foolish humans will be foolish humans. Is power all that interests the likes of you?" chided Zerase-san sarcastically.

My eyebrow started twitching as she got really irritating. However, Jeane-san offered a far more comprehensive explanation.

"Well, what you call jewel seeds have the ability to distort dimensions and realities for a short duration of time and effect. Hence, when used correctly by a mage who specialises in time and space, it becomes possible to transport people across time and space."

"So… where can we find someone like that?"

As if right on cue, two green flashes appeared out of nowhere along with a loud sneezing sound.

"Ah-chooo! Little Viki! Don't do that! You know I hate feathers!"

"It got the job done didn't it?"

As the little girl kept the feather away, I spoke what I had on my mind for a while now.

"Does anyone else think things are getting a bit too convenient around here?"

The three women looked at each other before turning towards the blind seer who had one of her smirksome smiles on.

"Whatever could you possibly mean?"

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Author's Notes:

Another chapter down. I hope this chapter is okay, I'm kinda writing it while brain dead from papers and school work. I might slow down the writing a bit over the weekend due to commitments to actual graded papers, so please be patient.

I might revise the chapter a little or add more comments later, when I'm sufficiently oxygenated. I wonder if anyone saw the True Wind, Luc and Tenkai star connection though. Oh well.

As usual, please review if you have something to say, suggest or comment. I'll be checking back every little chance I get.

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Omake 18: While the Vivio sleeps tonight

Z: Why do we have to do this…?

J: You mean why do I have to do this. You lost that chess game remember?

Z: I didn't lose! She just didn't play fair!

J: Sure, sure.

(The symbol of a thunder rune glowed for a moment before charging enough electrical energy to overload the power grid of the place.)

Z: It's blasphemy I tell you, using the power of our runes and magic like this.

(The pale blue glow of the star rune darkened the hallways, ridding it most of its ambient light.)

J: Yes, of course.

(Several doors got shorted out by a blast of electrical energy, causing them to be stuck in an open position.)

Z: Say… why are you helping me with this then?

(Creates a moving spark with her rune and is currently adjusting its colour.)

J: Why, so that you'll owe me a favour of course.

(Z face-faults and her spark became red)

Z: Favour! I haven't heard anything like that!

J (winks suspiciously at her.): Don't worry, it's just like the usual things I do. You can ask Lazlo all about it later.

Z (Z shifts uncomfortably): Okay…

J (smiles evilly): I assure you, it'll be… fun.

(Z gulps, wondering how she got from one mess into another one.)


	23. Chapter 23

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

Chapter 22: Lord of the Stars

_This girl… she is young and inexperienced, but bears the traits of faith, warmth and hope… as expected of the Tenkai star. It is cruel how such staggering burdens, that of entire worlds, are placed on the shoulders of one still so tender… but I suppose that is part of the trials the higher powers have in store for men. I only hope he has prepared her enough for the insurmountable tasks he had once performed, and that she would have it in her the will and ability to persuade the other rune bearers to rally under her cause…, for the sake of all worlds and he who we both hold dear. But right now, it's time to do what I can._

As night falls over a familiar land, at a time whereby most rests isolated away from others, safe from prying eyes or ears, a bright blue light erupts into being, instantly gaining the attention of those who witnessed it. Eyes widened in recognition as their voices caught momentarily before a name was breathed out, some out of surprise, some out of weary, but all knew the name.

"Leknaat."

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"Bearers of the True Runes, I have come to beseech you for your assistance. The threat of destruction looms over the worlds, one that involves this and beyond. The demon Yuber is plotting to enact the wishes of the Hachifusa, to bring about chaos and destruction in all worlds sufficient enough to trigger the end, to return the world to its origins of darkness. I have sent Lazlo to impede his plans, but as you rune bearers know better than most, one man isn't enough to change the world. For the sake of your world, the lives of those you hold dear, once again I beseech you to lend the might of your runes, your stars and destinies."

Silence and murmuring of thoughts followed by those present as they took in what the ghostly visage had said. It was then that a young female voice sounded.

"Leknaat-san, would they understand me if I talked to them?"

"Yes, my girl. My astral projection is telepathic in nature, so you may use your telepathy to express your wishes simultaneously to all those involved at once, although it may be rather draining for a normal mage."

"May I?"

"Of course."

A new visage appeared beside the blind seer's, that of a young blonde figure with miscoloured eyes steeled by resolve and purpose.

"Hi, I'm Takamichi Vivio. Please hear me out my fellow rune bearers."

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In an unlit tavern room near the borders of the Toran Republic, the pale visage of the girl spoke to lanky young man with dusty black hair armed with a bo staff.

"Tir McDohl-san, will you please help us save the worlds and Lazlo? I have always heard from Lazlo how much highly he thinks of your compassion and willingness to help others in need, and surely there's no greater need than the crisis at hand. Please do say yes…"

A gentle smile lit up in way of his reply.

"I was going to help anyway, but after hearing that, how can I even think about refusing anymore. Besides… I do owe his student Luc from my own Toran Liberation Wars, and the Souleater had also shown me how he had helped Ted all those years ago… consider me as you ally young lady."

"Thank you Tir-san!"

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Flanked by the candlelight of a bedroom in an elaborate mansion somewhere in Harmonia, the pale visage of the girl now addressed that of a deceptively young blonde girl lying beside a man on a four-poster bed.

"Sierra Mikain-san, I'm sure you have heard from Leknaat-san how bad the situation is, will you please lend me your help? Lazlo has not told me much about you, but please, for the sake of the world and all the lives in it?"

The blonde with blood red eyes looked disinterestedly at the pleading figure before her as she spoke.

"I am a vampire and immortal even without my rune. Why should I care for the lives of those lesser than myself? Besides, is saving the world all that motivates you? If that is all, then I'm not interested. You humans can resolve your own trials."

"Ouch…" whispered the middle-aged blonde man sitting up beside her.

The pale visage bit her lips visibly and paused for a moment before she began again hesitantly.

"No… you're right Sierra-san… although saving the world is important too, the main reason I'm doing this is to save Lazlo… I'm… sorry for making such a selfish request of you…"

"Do you love Lazlo?"

The very direct question made the young girl turn red as she nodded lightly and whispered in response.

"Very much…"

The former Coven Mistress flashed a slight wry smile at that.

"You should have been honest from the start. I'm uninterested in the transient passing of humans, but I am neither unfeeling nor ignorant to the treasure of love." For a brief moment, she looked at the man beside her from the corner of her eye. "Very well, I shall lend you what assistance you would require of me. It would give me something to taunt Lazlo with later on as well."

The young girl flashed a brilliant smile as she heard the favourable response.

"Thank you Sierra-san!"

The man besides the vampiress heaved a mysterious sigh before he whispered a little too audibly.

"Bon voyage then. Free at last!"

A slight twitch appeared on the red-eyed blonde girl's forehead as she reached one hand over to pull the man's ear harshly, making him yelp in pain as sleepiness was soon jerked away.

"And of course you're coming too aren't you, my darling husband? You wouldn't think of leaving your dear wife in danger while you go gallivanting around seeding the young maidens would you? Hmmm?"

The ghostly blonde visage struggled to stifle a giggle as the poor man gave his panicky assurances.

"No! Of course not! Never even thought of it! Honest!"

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Meanwhile, in a backroom within the newly renovated White Deer Inn in Dunan Republic, the blonde girl addressed the two young men who were gathered there.

"The two of you must be Riou-san and Jowy-san. I've heard from Lazlo how much you two have gone through during your last Great War, but please, I need your help for this one. We won't be just saving our world but yours as well. Please…"

The two looked at each other as though in thought when their runes suddenly started glowing and pulsating for a moment. Wincing slightly, they closed their eyes for a moment before reopening them and nodding at each other. Riou then broke the silence.

"I don't know why, but our runes seem to want to join in this Great War of yours… count me in then. Saving this world by doing so does seem like a good enough reason for me. Jowy?" The blonde man nodded. "Alright, count us in then."

"Thanks Riou-san, Jowy-san!"

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In the Captain's private chambers of the Dragon Knights' headquarters in the Toran Republic, the young blonde visage now spoke to an older blonde with chestnut tresses.

"Milia-san, please…"

The ghostly image was interrupted before she could begin her plea by a raised hand by the older blonde.

"There's no need for you to prostrate yourself young lady. If it will save the world and help a friend in need, then count me in. You will not find one Dragon Knight wanting in chivalry or justice, let alone their commander. But do make room for my dragon Thrash. I assure you it'll be worth the effort to see a mounted Dragon Knight in action."

"Thank you Milia-san! Friedrich and Voltaire will be glad to have company too."

At that moment the doors to the room burst open as a younger girl charged in.

"Mom! I heard everything! You're gonna bring me along rite!? You gotta!"

Milia raised her hand to knead her brows as a frown set in.

"Sharon… this is going to be serious and dangerous…"

"I don't care! I'm already a full-fledged Dragon Knight! It is a worthy quest for me as well. I know! I'll go get Futch to come too! You're not leaving me out of this one mom!"

And we that, the girl dashed out of the room looking for the Regiment Commander while Milia sighed again.

"Sorry about that, but can you make space for two more people and another two dragons too?"

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This time… in a mysterious location shrouded in darkness, the blonde figure spoke to a black knight wielding a great runic sword.

"Erm… Pesmerga-san…"

"I'm not interested in the world. Give me another reason why I should join you."

A brief pause before the blonde answered.

"Yuber."

Another pause.

"Count me in."

"Thank you!"

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In another tavern room, this time one near the Tinto-Dunan border, the blonde visage addressed a brunette young man with an impressive looking sword.

"You must be Edge-san, bearer of the Night Rune. Please lend us your strength and fight with us against Yuber, for the sake of both our worlds."

The young brunette flashed a smug smile, obviously proud that someone would ask for his strength directly.

"Of course. A great swordsman like me can't just stand by and watch the world fall to ruin…"

Before he finished his self-congratulatory speech of acceptance, his sword rose out of its sheathe on his back and spat out a retort.

"Ya right! You a great swordsman? You would have gotten yourself killed long ago if I hadn't been the sword you were using. There are so many better swordsman out there; Flik, Viktor, Georg Prime, and even that Nash fellow of Sierra's… who are you to number yourself among them. You're still just a fledgling, a greenhorn. And if you don't even realise that, then you're a bloody fool as well."

The blonde image sweatdropped as the sword and the swordsman got into a little fight right in front of her. After observing for a few moments and deciding that they're not going to end this on their own anytime soon, she interrupted them gently.

"You must be the legendary Star Dragon Sword. Lazlo has told me much about you too. If I may, I would like to ask for your assistance and power in the upcoming battle as well."

The sword was obviously flattered to be held in such high regard while the swordsman scoffed a little.

"Very well. I'll assist you in your endeavours. At least you and Lazlo have taste. I take it Sierra and Zerase will be involved too?"

"Yes, they've agreed to join my cause too."

"It's decided then. It's perfect for a little reunion on the side. Do not worry; we're going as soon as this whelp gets ready."

"Hey!"

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Meanwhile, in the Chief's hut in Karaya, the ghostly blonde image addressed another tanned blonde.

"Hugo-san, please help us in our fight to stop Yuber. Like what Leknaat-san said, we need the help and your world will be safe too."

The young chief rubbed his chin in thought as she mused aloud.

"The spirits of the wind and earth have told me that they felt several jarring disturbances not of this world some time ago that have me worried still… is that the result of the crisis of your world too?"

The blonde girl nodded.

"I guess those disturbances were the previous two times that Lazlo went up against Yuber. But the demon has become even more dangerous, so it might become worse."

Hugo then saw the green mark on her right hand.

"You're the new bearer of the True Wind?"

The blonde girl looked at her right hand and nodded again.

"Alright then, I'll join your army for the fight. The spirits seems to agree with that decision and I can't just sit back and let the disturbances continue."

"Thank you Hugo-san!"

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In the bedroom of the Lightfellow Manor in Vinay de Zexen, the blonde figure simply stared at the rune bearer with silver hair in front of her, taking in her delicate face, her generous curves and her very flimsy nightshirt…

"You're… you're… you're…" she stuttered. The owner of the silver mane arched an eyebrow at her.

"Chris Lightfellow, at your service. Lazlo has not spoken of me?"

"You're a girl! And you're GORGEOUS!"

The said gorgeous knight shrunk slightly as her face took on a red tinge, making her seem lovelier than before. The blonde visage simply stood there stunned by the beauty before her while beginning to understand the hold her own blush holds over her beloved.

"Erm… yes… thank you for your compliment milady."

An awkward silence ensued for a moment before the blonde image regained her composure somewhat.

"Erm… so… Chris-san, about your assistance…"

The Silver Maiden interjected in between her hesitant query.

"I accept. If the crisis will endanger our world and the Zexen Federation collaterally, then it is within my duty as the Captain of the Zexen Knights to protect my country. I will inform the others of my absence and then I can be on my way."

"Thanks… I think…" muttered the blonde girl, who's considering asking Sierra for pointers.

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In a tavern room in Caleria, the blonde girl now addressed a stern man with an eye patch over his right eye.

"Geddoe-san…"

"Why should I help that weasel? The last time I did he betrayed our cause and took my eye. You're lucky if I don't kill him myself.

"But Geddoe-san… he had his reasons…"

"What kind of an excuse is that!?"

"A poor one, I know. He told me so himself. But please believe me that he had no choice in order to save Luc-san. Please understand…"

"Luc? That masked bishop who tried to destroy his True Rune? Why on earth would he do that? Better yet, that's supposed to make me feel better about his betrayal?"

"It's… complicated… I can't explain it for him since I wasn't there, but please believe me that he bore that guilt and sin all this time in his heart and his rune. It still pains him every now and then…"

The man without his right eye stood silent after that, no doubt in thought. Becoming slightly flustered, the blonde figure made a surprising offer.

"My right eye."

"What?"

"Please help us, and I'll willingly let you take my right eye."

"I'm not interested in your eyes."

"I know, but I can't let you take his… you'll have to take mine first if you want his, so it's the same anyway."

The man stood in contemplative silence once again before he replied.

"Very well, I'll assist you for your fight. But I am a mercenary and so I will name my price afterwards, be it your eye or his and you are to comply without question. Are my terms acceptable?"

The blonde immediately objected with stubborn insistence.

"I cannot let you kill him after we save him!"

Geddoe paused for a moment before he relented.

"Fine, that aside, everything else goes. No more negotiations. Deal or no deal?"

"Deal."

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Lastly, in the personal chambers of a certain bishop within the Crystal Palace, the blonde visage spoke to a young man with green hair.

"Sasarai-san… or maybe I should call you uncle…"

"Uncle?" asked the bishop quizzically.

"Erm… from what Lazlo has told me, my grandfather is the reincarnation of the man known as Hikusaak in your world…"

The green haired bishop stood up at that.

"His Holiness is in your world?"

"Well, yes… in a way. But his name is now Takamichi Shiro and his no longer a king or ruler…"

The bishop held his chin with a gloved hand.

"He's involved in your fight too?"

"Yes. He's helping out on the frontlines as a Forward too."

The bearer of the True Earth straightened himself.

"Very well, if his Holiness has chosen to take your side in this war, it would be my duty as bishop to support his decision. I accept your proposal."

"Thank you! Erm… should I call you Sasarai-san or uncle…?"

The green haired young man gave a slight smile.

"Sasarai would do for now, at least until I have confirmed you claims with his Holiness himself."

"Hai."

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The pale visage of the blind seer who had been in the background as the blonde girl did her recruitment nodded at the successes she had so far.

_As expected of the Tenkai star. She's a good girl._

A few moments after her persuading of Sasarai, the projection of the blonde girl disappeared as the mental connection broke down. With her usual smile, she followed up her good work with the relevant details.

"This may be rather short noticed, but I will arrange for your transfer to Vivio's world in two hours. Please prepare yourself for your journey and the battles ahead in the meanwhile."

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Having persuaded the last of the rune bearers, Vivio staggered backwards, mentally exhausted by the demands of simultaneous astral projections to be caught by the pink enchantress.

"You've done well little one." she whispered fondly as she enveloped her in a warm hug.

"Thanks Jeane-san."

"Rest a bit for now. We'll need to move to a bigger space to accommodate the other rune bearers."

"Heiki." the blonde girl tried to steady herself weakly as she made her way towards the door. "I need to find place big enough for them to arrive at and arrange for transportations to where Lazlo is… wherever that may be too…"

At that moment, a calm familiar voice made her jump a little as two figures appeared from the shadows near the door.

"And where do you think you're going?"

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Author's Notes:

Here's the end of this chapter. Now that's quite a lot of recruiting done in a single shot, something I'm sure anyone who has played any of the Suikoden series have wished to do for a while. Let's see… we have Tir, Sierra & Nash, Riou & Jowy, Milia, Futch, Sharon and their dragons Thrash, Bright and Sharon's new gold dragon that I'm going to name properly in the next chapter, Persmerga, Edge & the Star Dragon Sword, Hugo, Chris, Geddoe and Sasarai… that's nine true runes at once, plus lots of interesting people and dragons! It might be a bit anti-climatic or excessive to recruit them all at once, but really, I'm quite a lazy writer. Besides, it's fun thinking and linking up the recruitment scenes and writing some humour into them. Well, unless you're the type who likes having to run around in circles just to recruit one character at a time.

Well, there isn't any technical terms out there to explain so that's all for my comments I guess. As usual, if there are comments, questions or advice, please let me know in the review section. Oh, especially reminders about characters being almost out of character, particularly the pre-Suikoden III characters. I would like to keep it as close as possible, unless it's for my planned dramatic effect or anti-canon tendencies.

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Omake 19: While Vivio was busy

J (to LV): I see that you're here too.

LV: Of course. This is too serious a business to leave to that airhead alone.

J: Awfully blunt as usual I see.

Z: Manners are in short supply among the young whelps these days.

LV: You're one to speak of manners old hag.

Z: What did you say you underdeveloped midget!

V: Hey hey, what are you two discussing about? Are you two fighting already?

J (gives a flirtatious smirk): Of course not. LV and Z love each other very much. I was about to suggest you and me go out together too.

V: That sounds like fun! We haven't gotten together since that last bath at Budehuc. Do you want to take another one together?

Z & LV (at the same time): NO!

J (sniggers inwardly at the opportunity that presented itself): Aww… if you two wanted to take a bath with either of us, you could have just said so. I sure won't mind doing it with Z…

V: Yep yep. I'll wash your back too LV! It's a long time since you praised me for being good.

Z & LV (more than a little red): SHUT UP!


	24. Chapter 24

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 23: Contact

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Nanoha-mama, Fate-mama… I'm going to go after Lazlo and deal with Yuber. Please don't try to stop me."

"Vivio…" said Nanoha-san gently as she walked over and placed her hands on my shoulders. "Please wait. You have to come with us first."

"No! I can't wait anymore! I need to find him before he… I rather burn beside him then to let him die alone…" I cried out in frustration, trying to break out of her hold.

"That's why you have to wait and come with us." sighed Fate-mama as she made her way to our sides. "We're telling you to come with us because we can't have that."

"Huh?" I blurted in surprise.

"Matagu…" said Fate-mama as she patted my head. "Didn't I say leave things to us? Did you really think we were the sort to abandon our precious girl? I swear, you get your stubbornness off your Nanoha-mama."

"Fate! Mou…" exclaimed Nanoha-mama before clearing her throat slightly when she noticed the other women in the room. "Well, seeing that this crisis could potentially destroy our world as well, your Aunt Carim has managed to put the fleet together again to go after Yuber. Of course, for most of us, we're just too plain worried to have you go by yourself."

"Nanoha-mama…" I was a bit lost for words.

"Besides, you should have realised by now that using telepathy for normal speech functions can be quite draining even for experienced mages like these ladies. We'll need to outfit our guests with all sorts of equipment for space combat and the likes. I'm sure you didn't even think that far right?"

"Hai…" I admitted softly.

"Well then," began the pale visage in our little discussion. "I shall go prepare too. I'll act as the liaison for the transfer later on, so I'll see you ladies in two hours time. Till then."

The image of the blind seer vanished in the same flash of blue that she appeared in.

"Let's go. Everyone's waiting on the Claudia and the other warships."

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And indeed everyone was waiting on the Claudia. Apart from the original members of the fleet, there were many more new yet familiar faces. Everyone flashed a smile as we walked towards the centre of the flight deck. Graham Oji-san stepped forward to greet us.

"You're finally here Vivio. How are you feeling?"

"Graham Oji-san… I'm fine. My injuries have healed fully and I'm ready to go."

The elderly gentleman gave a knowing nod and a wry smile.

"I'm glad you're alright now. As you can see, we seem to have expanded without us really noticing."

"That's right." agreed Uncle Chrono as he walked in with Aunt Amy by his side. "Apart from combat specialists like Vice-san's Sniper squad, the combat mages from Major Nakajima's 108th battalion, Arf-san and the Saint Church Knights who didn't make it in time for the last battle, we also have new members in support roles such as Mariel-san's Research department, Yunno and Verosa who joined either in official capacity or of their own volition. Maa… although we are worried about the world being destroyed, everyone's worried about you too."

"Arigatou minah-san! I'm sure with everyone around, we'll be able to stop that Yuber from destroying the world. Nantoka nalu!"

A light chorus of laugher sounded at the sudden optimism, causing my cheeks to warm a little. Graham Oji-san continued on.

"Alright everyone, please prepare yourself to move out in less than two hours. You're dismissed for now."

"Hai!" acknowledged everyone. Nanoha-mama then turned towards me.

"Let's go find Mariel-san and Shariff. It might take a while to get everything we need."

"Hai."

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We found the two device meisters in the lab working on several items at once. It was a while before they noticed us.

"Ah Vivio!" greeted Mariel-san cheerfully. "It's been a long time. You've grown up so much."

"Yes it has been too long." I agreed as I gave her a light hug. "But at the moment we need your help with some equipment…"

"Ah! I've already heard from Fate-san about your guests. That's why we were working overtime on more of the communication earrings that Shamal designed, as well as the space-use flight and breathing apparatus. We managed to make more than a dozen or so at the moment, but if you need more, I think we can still manage." answered Shario-san looking up from her work at last.

"Thank you, both of you! Can we outfit the four ladies here first? Hmm… I think we might need three breathing apparatus large enough for some dragons later on as well."

"Hai hai." replied Shario-san who took a box out from a nearby shelf while gesturing to the four otherworldly mages. "This way please, ladies."

While the four ladies mentioned milled over to be outfitted, Nanoha-mama nodded hesitantly to Fate-mama before Fate-mama continued.

"Mariel-san, can you unlock Vivio's Velvet Lancer's full drive mode? I think she might need it in the upcoming battle."

"Full drive mode?" I echoed in surprise. "I didn't know there was a full drive mode."

With that, Nanoha-mama cleared her throat nervously before answering.

"Well, full drive modes such as my Blaster Bit system are rather dangerous and risky to use in actual combat situations despite the considerable power boost as it carries a risk of permanent damage from energy overload and recoil stress. There was never a need for the Forwards to use their full drives for a while now, the last being the JS incident, but I think you could use all the power you can get at the moment."

"Nanoha-mama… Thank you. Mariel-san. Please unlock my full drive mode."

"Hai." replied the green haired technician who received my dormant device and started working on it with several instruments. "I'll be done in a few moments. Please wait a while."

"Hai." I acknowledged and took a seat in a nearby padded bench along with my mothers who were holding me close. We spent a few moments looking at Jeane-san being outfitted with the language conversion earring and the green choker for air supply, when I suddenly thought of a question.

"Nanoha-mama, Fate-mama? What is my full drive mode like?

"Well, it's a bit like Bardiche's Zanber form, but with considerable shooting ability like your Nanoha-mama's Raising Heart, so it can be used for both close and ranged combat with no problem." answered Fate-mama patiently.

"Zanber form eh… so it's not going to be a spear form then?"

"No. Well, I never thought you might actually need to use it, so we didn't change it into a spear form to fit your preferred combat style. Will that be a problem?" asked Nanoha-mama in concern.

"Hmmm…"

"Hai, I'm done! The full drive mode is unlocked. Wanna test it out?" chipped Mariel-san suddenly, interrupting me for a moment.

"Yes, let's try it and find out." I said as I handled my partner device. "Velvet Lancer, full drive ignition."

"Full drive ignition, Zweihänder form." sounded Velvet lancer's digital voice.

Part of the shaft below the spear's blade began to retract towards its blunt end, falling together to form the hilt of the sword while revealing the rest of blade that continued from what was previously the tip of the spear. Velvet Lancer's amethyst gem flowed back along the newly lengthened blade, stopping just prior to the hilt where purple energy cackled towards both ends of the word, forming a solid horizontal guard that generated a small purple energy shield while a diagonal half of the blade was coloured with translucent purple.

Weighing my supposed two-handed sword in one hand, I began to swing it with one hand in several double-helixical turns to get the feel of how the sword flows, before spinning into as series of slashes that ended with an unexpected thrust in a smooth dance-like manner. Looking at the surprised looks my moms were giving me, I felt a small wave of nostalgia as I was reminded of a similar scene a few years ago.

"Vivio, where and when did you learn to use a heavy sword like that?" asked an amazed Nanoha-san.

"The fighting style I use for my lance form was adapted from a fencing style by Lazlo. It seems like using the Zwei mode just comes naturally to me now too."

Fate-mama gave a wry smile. "Looks like I'll have a new sparring partner other than Signum later on, if we survive this battle. Tanoshimi."

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The two hours passed quickly and a blue flash of light appeared in front of us, as if by clockwork, in the flight deck, surprising the Forwards who had gathered around as well. The pale visage of the blind seer than addressed the two Viki-sans.

"The other rune bearers are ready. Let's transfer the Dragon Knights from Dunan first. Please keep an eye on Viki while she's doing the transfer Little Viki."

"As you wish, my lady." answered the smaller Viki-san as she removed several jewel seeds from a pouch. A large flash of green light and concentric circles appeared as three figures riding dragons of red, white and gold appeared. They hovered for a little moment above the deck before finally landing and dismounting. As Jeane-san than came up to them with the earrings after which they came up to us, I saw little Viki-san smack the larger Viki-san on the back of her head lightly.

_She really has to work on her aim._

"Milia, Captain of the Dragon Knights of Dunan at your service, and this is my second in command Futch and that's my daughter Sharon." greeted a lady decked out in red armour, extending an arm in greeting. I took it gratefully and returned the greeting.

"I'm Vivio. Once again thanks for the help, Milia-san, Futch-san and Sharon-san."

At this time, Erio, Caro and Lutecia hurried up to us.

"Wow, your dragons can sustain physical form without additional magical support? How did you manage to do that?" chipped the pink dragon summoner excitedly.

"Well, I suppose that's due to the power of the Dragon Rune that I bear. It allows for the existence of dragons and possesses certain inter-dimensional powers as well, although dragons in my world generally exist and grow up like every other creature." explained Milia-san patiently.

"I see… Can you teach me how to do the same for my Friedrich and Voltaire too? It would really help in the battle later on." asked Caro hopefully.

"Why not? Come, tell me about your dragons in detail…"

I smiled as Caro and Milia-san engaged in a lengthy discussion about dragons and draconic theory while Erio and Lutecia were chatting up Futch-san and Sharon-san casually as well. It was then that another green flash appeared and I made my way to greet my other guests.

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The other rune bearers soon arrived one after another and while I ran around greeting them, I was glad when I noticed that they had already begun mingling among my friends and family as well.

Tir-san, Jowy-san, Riou-san and Persmerga greeted each other upon their arrival and were talking among themselves before Aunt Hayate and Acous-san joined in their conversation while updating them on the current happenings in relation to this crisis.

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"Tir, Persmerga, long time no see. You two look well." greeted Riou while the other two said persons nodded.

"It does seem that way. Both of you look like you're aging well too. I see that the Rune of Beginning has chosen to remain as two halves." replied Tir warmly.

"Yes. It's better that way. That True Rune is too dangerous to leave whole, and it slows both of our aging down, so it's not so bad. How about your Souleater? Is it still… well, you know." asked Jowy, glancing at Tir's hand.

"Oh, I got over the curse a while back. It's been pretty well-behaved lately, so you guys don't have to worry. However, I still travel around helping people, although it's by choice and not necessity this time." said Tir reassuringly.

"We were doing exactly the same thing. We just returned to Dunan from Falena right before we were called here, and we were in Zelant just a few years back too. The Western continent is really interesting, even though it's a bit far. You should go take a look too if you haven't already." continued Riou.

"That's an idea. Maybe I will. Oh, what about you Persmerga? You've been awfully quiet." asked Tir in concern.

"I'm just itching to kill Yuber. I can't wait for the battle to happen."

The other three men sweat-dropped a little.

"I guess some things never change even after so many years." commented Riou softly.

At that moment, Hayate and Acous walked up to them.

"Minah-san, welcome to our world. I'm Colonel Hayate and he's Acous. I thought you guys might like some details on the current situation, or help provide some inputs that would help us plan the attack on Yuber."

Persmerga's face immediately lighted up in interest.

"As long as I get to kill him first, I don't mind any arrangement."

"Erm… Anou…" went Hayate while the other men sweat-dropped again.

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Nash-san was pleasantly surprised to find so many female members in the fleet and was about to wander off to them before Sierra-san pulled him by his ear towards Edge-san, or rather, the Star Dragon Sword. Zerase went over to them quickly as well before they had a small heated gathering that resulted in Edge-san leaving his sword to its own discussion. He managed to get into one of his own with Uncle Kyoya when they recognised each other as swordsmen and exchanged theories on swordplay.

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"Wow, look at all the lovely ladies in uniform they have in the military here. Perhaps I should quit the Howling Voice and join the army here… ouch, ouch, ouch!" went the blonde man as he had his ear twisted and pulled to one side.

"Really, I can't take my eyes off you for even one brief moment. Let's go over there to greet the Night Rune there darling." explained Sierra to no one in particular as she dragged the poor man over to where the sword is.

"Ah, Sierra of the Moon Rune. I was hoping to run into you here." greeted the Star Dragon Sword who raised itself out of the sheathe on Edge's back.

"Well met Night Rune. It's been almost two decades since we last met hasn't it?" replied Sierra.

"Perhaps. But time really has very little meaning for the likes of us. Wouldn't you agree?" mused the sword casually.

"You have a point Night Rune. Have you chosen a new wielder? The previous one was Viktor if I remember correctly." wondered Sierra idly, all the while trapping Nash's arm in a vicelike grip.

"Well, that idiot Viktor just left me with this boy here and disappeared somewhere. He's a poor replacement perhaps, but he'll suffice as transportation I suppose." commented the sword sarcastically.

"Hey, I keep telling you to treat me with more respect! I've been doing my best so far you know! No one becomes a great swordsman overnight you know!" snapped Edge indignantly.

"If you want respect, try earning it yourself foolish human." commented an approaching cold voice.

"What did you say you…" spat the brunette swordsman at the black druid.

"Like I said, if you want respect, try earning it. What makes you think you're worthy of wielding the mighty Night Rune given your limited prowess, foolish human. You should consider yourself fortunate to even be allowed to serve as his vessel of transport, you fledgling whelp"

"Grrr… I don't need this. Here, if you can talk to the sword all you want, you crazy druid!" Edge drew the sword and stabbed it into the floor of the flight deck, standing it upright before stomping off.

"Hmmph… foolish human." muttered Zerase before she turned towards the sword and the former Coven Mistress and bowed in a gesture of deference so rare I doubt anyone had seen it prior to this moment.

"Greetings to you father, and to you as well Mistress of the Moon."

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Hugo-san, Chris-san, Sasarai-san and Geddoe-san got together as well and chatted a little before the members of Forwards 2 came up to talk to them. Or rather, most of the girls were curious about Hugo-san and Sasarai-san while Signum-san and Fate-mama spoke to Chris-san. Geddoe-san slinked away from the crowd and was merely observing everyone when he realised that Cinque-san was observing him as well. The two then merely stared down each other stoically with their good eye without saying anything, while Nove-san was watching them nervously, growling every now and then.

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"Chris, Geddoe, Sasarai! It's only been a few years, but it felt longer." greeted the tanned boy with platinum blonde hair.

"Haha. Hugo, didn't we just meet the other day at the treaty negotiations in Budehuc the other day?" replied the silver haired knight with a smile.

"We Karayans are warm to our friends by nature. We would greet them as such no matter whether we met just recently or not in years." continued the young chief proudly.

"Unfortunately, that's something those so-called civilised people have forgotten I suppose. Compared to Zexen or Harmonian superficiality, I would much prefer the Grasslands." commented Geddoe stoically.

"Ouch." uttered Sasarai with his usual smile.

"No offence intended Bishop. I would let you know if I did." smirked the man with one eye.

The sound of approaching footsteps alerted them to the group of girls heading their way.

"Hi, you guys must be Vivio-san's guests. We're the members of Forwards 2. My name's Sein and this is Wendi. What's yours?" greeted Sein enthusiastically as the two of them reached the group first.

"Bishop Sasarai of Harmonia, pleased to meet your acquaintances Sein, Wendi." Sasarai returned the greeting with a courtly one of his own, complete with manners and a half bow.

"Hugo, Chief of Karaya. Likewise." mimicked Hugo.

Geddoe commented softly to Chris. "You've been teaching him court decorum?"

Chris nodded. "It will come in useful sooner or later in his long life, be it in negotiations with the Zexens or getting out of trouble with the Harmonians."

"That's true I suppose." agreed the older man who flashed a wry smirk later on. "But I think it's getting him a fair bit of a trouble at the moment instead."

Chris stifled an uncharacteristic giggle as Hugo and Sasarai found themselves appraised closely by the band of young girls. It was then that she noticed two older women approaching her.

"Hello. I'm Fate T. Takamichi, Vivio's mother. I would like to thank you in advance for your help."

"Signum of the Wolkenritter." greeted the other woman curtly.

The Silver Maiden straightened herself a little and greeted formally as well. "Chris Lightfellow, Captain of the Zexen Knights. No thanks are necessary, as I'm merely acting out my duty to my country and its interests."

"I see. It's good to see a fellow knight. They're a rare breed in this world these days." said Signum with a tinge of melancholy in her voice.

"It's a position of strength and sacrifice. It's better for those not prepared for the responsibilities to stay clear of the role." sighed the silver haired knight.

Fate gave a suspicious smile as the pleasant and easy conversation continued between the usually reticent Signum and the newly arrived knight.

Geddoe however had managed to slip away unnoticed while the others were occupied and was now merely observing the other members of this army, evaluating their strengths with his experienced eye. It was then that he noticed a young girl with a small stature and a similar eyepatch over her right eye looking at him, probably doing the same thing.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Cinque Onee-sama…" muttered Nove as she saw the two of them looking at each other with those stern expressions, worried that they were about to start a fight or something.

However, while the two seemed locked in a staring competition, but there was really only one thing on their minds.

_Should I ask what happened to that eye…?_

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After the last of my guests had arrived, Leknaat-san addressed me once again.

"It seems like the rune bearers have arrived safely for a change. Remember to thank Little Viki later on for that. However, I think you would need Lazlo and Yuber's location too, don't you think so?"

"Yes! I was more than a little worried about how to find them. Can you tell me where they are?" I asked hopefully once again.

"I've had two of my mages monitor them from two of my viewing pools. Raura? Eresh? How are the two of them right now?" she called out to two other mages mentally.

"Lazlo was looking for Yuber in space for quite a while before he finally found him less than half an hour ago. They're engaged in battle right now." a deep female voice sounded out in our minds.

"Eresh thinks that Lazlo has improved a lot, but Yuber is still stronger somehow. Yuber has summoned a great many creatures from the realm of Chaos and has also erected a strange shield around them that is preventing Lazlo from escaping. Eresh thinks Yuber plans to toy with Lazlo for a while." a gentler voice continued.

A scene of the raging battle appeared in front of us which showed Lazlo and that demon cross swords and slashing at each other repeatedly. The scene soon faded out to reveal the translucent black and brown sphere that has encased them and further out to the ridiculous number of summoned monsters surrounding them.

"Good grief. There are even more of them than before!" commented Vita-san.

"Griffith, Lucino, did you get a good view of that? Get those coordinates out as soon as possible." Uncle Chrono called out to the bridge through a communication link.

"Hai. We have their approximate coordinates. We're plotting out the fastest route to their position at the moment and we'll send the information to the other eight ships as soon as we get them."

"Commanders and independent combatants, please meet in the War room immediately. Everyone else, please prepare yourselves for the fight of your lives."

A chorus of "Hai" and salutes acknowledged the command.

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Author's Notes:

That's another chapter down. It's more of fluff and interaction between characters, but I hope some readers would find cross-cultural interaction more interesting than running circles to get characters. There's a little plot progression going on too that will lead to the main assault and climax in the two later chapters eventually. Well, one chapter if I have time to write and decide not to break it up.

I don't think there are many references to clear up here too. So that's that. Oh, I had Vivio unlock her full drive too. I felt that the heroine should have a more heroic weapon too, so there you go, a Zweihänder at that, like that sword Aragorn uses in LOTR's Return of the King. It helps that it's a German term too, seeing that I modelled her Velvet Lancer after Erio's Strada, which is also German speaking.

I've included Raura and Eresh this time to help fill in some blanks in the SOD list that I'm working on, but they're mostly in support and monitoring roles. It's not that I don't like these two girls, but I figured we have enough runic firepower from a couple of dragons and all the True Runes that have gathered to make their own magic pale in comparison, so I rather not add them for combatant purposes.

That's all for now. Same as always, do review if you have something interesting or constructive to suggest. I can see the ending in another four chapters or so, but I'll be glad to add anything into the mix without detracting the plot too much.

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Omake 20: Staring competition

(Back when C and G are staring at each other.)

S: What's the matter N?

N: C and the new guy with one eye are just starring at each other.

W (gulps a little): Are they going to fight?

Di: I'm sure you girls are over-worrying. C Onee-sama is a very kind and gentle person under that stoic face. She won't get into fights for trivial reasons just like that.

O: She almost took out an eye from the last guy who called her a midget Cyclops with her Stinger.

De: I still say that guy deserved it for insulting Onee-sama…

(At the time H and Sas notices and comments as well.)

H: Oh no…

Sas: What is it H?

H: G is staring at another person again.

Sas: I'm sure you're over-worrying. G is a very rational and calculating person. He won't start a fight with no gain in store.

H: He electrocuted the last guy who poked fun at his eyepatch with a Soaring Bolt.

Sas: … oh yeah, I heard about that one…

(A collective gasp sounds as the two finally walks up to each other in a confrontation.)

C: Your eye, what happened?

G: Got taken by a better fighter. Yours?

C: Same. Nice eyepatch though.

G: Likewise.

C: Drink?

G: Sure.

(Everyone else falls over.)


	25. Chapter 25

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 24: Strike

_We're coming. Please hold on till then._

The War Room seemed smaller than I remembered, but I guess that has more to do with the increase in our numbers than the room suddenly shrinking. Even though only commander class members and independent combatants were involved in the briefing, it was not any less crowded than the last briefing we were at. As we entered the room, I saw Ginga-san and Subaru wave at me, Tea giving me a V-sign and almost everyone else I have met and befriended over the short few years of my life simply nod in acknowledgement. The room eventually silenced when the three leaders of the fleet, Aunt Carim, Uncle Chrono and Grandma Lindy entered along with our advisor, Graham Oji-san.

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"My friends and colleagues," greeted Uncle Chrono. "I thank you all for coming and lending your strength to this fleet. However, this next campaign will be more dangerous and life-threatening than probably anything we have seen before; it's nothing short of an all out war between us and the demon who wants to end our worlds. If there's anyone who wishes to withdraw from the upcoming battle, please leave the room. There'll be no questions asked."

A brief silence occurred, but no one made any move to leave the room. Instead, there were knowing smiles all around at the overflowing amount of guts being displayed by everyone in the room.

"Well, now that's that. Let's begin our mission briefing." continued Uncle Chrono with a grin of his own. A holographic image appeared in the centre of the room.

"The site of the battle is fortunately located away from any inhabitant planets in one of the deepest reaches of space. However, we would be get there in under two hours if we use our interstellar warp drives, so let leaves us with very little precious time to prepare." informed Uncle Chrono.

The image zoomed in further and we can see the dense number of summoned monsters we will be going against.

"As you all can see for yourself, the number of creatures this time has more than doubled from the last time we encountered them. Despite the increase in the size of our fleet, we are still outnumbered eight to one by our estimates. Victory through strength of arms alone may not be outright possible, but we will still face them head on nonetheless."

A few gruff nods and looks of concern overtook the faces of some of the members in the room.

"Fear not, we are not going to run ourselves blindly into the enemy, we are merely going to draw the main bulk of the creatures towards us. According to some of our guests from another world, the summoned creatures are not very bright and will merely attack on sight and correspondence. Captain Clyne's Eternal is being outfitted with large scale holographic generators and will help project an inflated size of our fleet to attract the enemy. The job of the main force is therefore to keep the enemy engaged long enough for an independent detachment of ships to attack from the resulting blind spot on the other side of the sphere. This detachment will consist of mainly of Section 6's Forward teams and our guests from another world who would have the best chance of breaching the shield with their… unique magic… after which they will enter the sphere and engage the demon directly."

A few murmurs sounded in the War Room at the audacity of the plan, to bank everything on a single detachment of troops.

"So here are the orders. The independent detachment will consist of my Claudia who will also serve as their transport, and escorted by Admiral Yamato's Sayers and Admiral Yeltsman's Mariane. In addition to Section 6 and the independent combatants, the troop assignments to these ships remain the four Enforcer squads and five Armed Forces squads, but with the inclusion of the 108th Battalion's combat mages on the Claudia as well."

A couple of nods and salutes signalled their acknowledgement of the orders. Uncle Chrono turned to another group of commanders.

"The diversionary main force will contain of Admiral Clyne's Eternal, which will act as the flagship due to its support role, Admiral Joule's Voltaire, Admiral Boris's Centurion, Admiral Zala's Valentine and the two Saint Church carriers under Sir Tristan and Lady Isolde. The troop assignments will include Vice-san's Sniper squad for long range support, the remaining nine Armed Forces squads and lastly the Saint Church fighters led by Lady Bedivere and the other knights for close and midrange fighting."

The group of commanders signalled their recognition of the orders with couple of nods and salutes of their own.

"All right, you have your orders, so go forth and prepare as best you can. We will commence warp drive in half an hour time, so make use of the time as best you can. Apart from the Forwards and the independent combatants the rest of you are dismissed."

"Hai."

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After the most of the commanders left, Uncle Chrono addressed the remaining lot of us still within the room.

"Now that the main briefing is over, have you guys decided how to destroy that shield that's protecting that demon?"

"Erm…" I went as the other rune bearers looked at each other questioningly as well.

"We'll hit the shield by concentrating our powers on one spot." announced the pink rune mistress airily. "We will begin the attack by pooling the five elemental True Runes' powers together, hence creating a resonance between themselves which will reinforce each others' power, creating a stronger combined magical attack on the shield. After which the other individual True Runes will join that attack on the same spot. Hopefully, it would be enough to breach the Chaos Shield."

"Hope… I guess that's the best we have at the moment. How about your transportation?" asked Uncle Chrono with a worried look.

"My Star Rune will be sufficient to take all the rune bearers at once, although all of us will be busy dealing with the Chaos Shield. As much as it repulses me, we would require assistance in terms of defence when we're at work." the black druid added grumpily.

Futch-san and Sharon-san stepped forward to volunteer. "The Dragon Knights have your back." announced Sharon-san proudly.

"You'll have the Forwards and the Wolkenritter too." added Aunt Hayate with a determined look, with my mamas nodding by her side.

"Well, the three ships will be dedicated to supporting your operations, so everyone will be helping you clear the way. Just concentrate on dealing with the shield." stated Uncle Chrono matter-of-factly.

"Hai. We'll take down that shield no matter what." I declared resolutely.

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After the briefing, the members of the fleet dispersed to carry out their own preparations. The Forwards and our otherworldly guests however stuck together to get ready our equipment, as well as to tie up some loose ends perhaps.

In one corner of the flight deck, Milia-san helped Caro summon Friedrich and Voltaire into being using her Dragon Rune, hence reducing the stress on Caro's own magic. In return, she helped Milia-san outfit the other Dragons with their breathing apparatus. Her two dragons interacted somewhat amicably with the other three dragons too, occasionally roaring as though in discussion. Meanwhile, Futch-san and Sharon-san were exchanging pointers with Erio and Lutecia on their respective experiences on being dragon knights and space battles.

In another corner, the girls in Forwards 2 were helping Nash-san, Persmerga-san, the two Viki-sans and Jeane-san getting used to their space-flight equipment, since it would be their first time fighting in these conditions. Nash-san looked really delighted to be surrounded by so many girls… well, that is until he had his ear twisted again by Sierra-san for his roving eyes and pulled all the way to the other end of the room where the other rune bearers were discussing the attack.

Meanwhile, Nanoha-mama, Fate-mama and the rest of my family were fussing around me, giving pointers and reminders not to get into too much trouble. Grandpa patted me on my head while giving them assurances that he would keep an eye out for me while Arf-san was also asking to be pat from Fate-mama. I smiled at how warm my family is, thinking that they'll be the other reason why I absolutely cannot fail my duty as the Tenkai star. At this point, I noticed Sasarai-san and Jeane-san coming this way, or rather towards Grandpa.

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"Master Hikusaak and bearer of the Circle Rune, Bishop Sasarai hereby sends his greetings to you, your Holiness." greeted Sasarai formally, going upon one knee with his head bowed before Grandpa.

"The Charm Rune sends her greetings to her sire, bearer of the Circle Rune as well." greeted Jeane-san, assuming a similar position beside Sasarai-san.

"Please get up both of you. There is no need for such formality, not in this incarnation at least." gestured Grandpa hurriedly as the two of them slowly got up. Jeane-san then took her leave after conveying her rune's wishes while Sasarai-san turned towards me and nodded.

"It seems like the Circle Rune is genuine. I thank you for the chance to find my master once again."

"Oh… no, it's alright. I'm just glad you agreed to come." I blurted out quickly. Sasarai-san continued to address Grandpa.

"Master, will you be returning to our world with us after this crisis? The priests and all of Harmonia are still awaiting your return and leadership."

Grandpa looked around at Nanoha-mama, Uncle Kyoya and Aunt Miyuki before answering gently.

"No, not at the moment. I plan to live out this life here. Perhaps my next incarnation will be back on our world. I'll have to trouble you and the temple to find me then once again."

Sasarai-san looked a little disappointed, but nodded in acknowledgement.

"If that is your choice Master, I will comply with your decision and inform the others upon my return. We will prepare ourselves for your eventual return to the One Throne and keep Harmonia together till then."

Grandpa gave a little smile and patted Sasarai-san fondly on his shoulder.

"I realise that I haven't been the most merciful of rulers in my previous incarnations, but I really appreciate your hard work. Remind me to give you a vacation when I return to your world."

The green haired bishop flashed a wry smile.

"I hope I have more luck with vacations than Lazlo."

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The two hours soon passed and we passed out of the warp phase into our destination. The full expanse of the army of creatures came into our view as well. Within a few moments, the size of our fleet more than tripled when the holographic images began to activate and the main force advanced to engage the creatures directly. The vanguard ships fired their Arc en Ciels to wipe out as many enemies as possible from a distance before the mage squadrons began to disembark from the ships. The darkness of space soon became illuminated by the light of spells and the warships' conventional cannons and arms.

Meanwhile, our independent detachment went under cover of the warship's stealth function and began to flank the right side of the creatures unnoticed for the other side of the shield.

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Within several minutes of the attack, the majority of the creatures began to congregate towards the main forces. The attack was progressing as planned as the creatures were lured by the temptation of battle, leaving the other end of the shield unguarded. The ships in the independent detachment reappeared in full view of the monsters as the stealth functions were discarded in order to fire a salvo of Arc en Ciels, clearing a large path among the already thinning monsters. Taking that as a cue, the Forwards and the rest of the mage squadrons on board began to disembark and made their way forward to keep the path cleared, taking out the monsters that have doubled back, drawn by the battle within their more immediate proximity. Meanwhile, Zerase's Star Rune created a spherical vessel of blue light that sent the rune bearers rapidly towards the shield via the path that was cut out.

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Suddenly, the number of monsters increased out of nowhere as their reinforcements appeared from previously empty sections of space, nearly doubling their already impossible numbers.

"Damn. That Yuber just summoned a new batch of summons. Just what is that fool Lazlo doing in there." grumbled Zerase-san indignantly as she tried to navigate her way through the now cluttered path.

I was about to snap back at her when Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama flew beside us.

"We'll clear the path for you as best we can. It might get a bit chaotic, so be prepared for anything." announced Nanoha-mama mentally.

That said, the pink light of her Excellion Buster and multiple bolts of Fate-mama's Plasma Lancers slammed through some of the monsters in our way. The 3 Dragon Knights, including Erio and Freidrich, flew ahead and fired several draconic breaths at a couple of summoned monsters before chasing them down for the kill. Caro and Lutecia supported their attacks with long range spells on top of Voltaire as the dragon mounted fighters combined to great effect. The battle got quite chaotic after that as the monsters began flooding the lines set up by the Enforcers and Armed Forces mages, resulting in spells being thrown back and forth.

Nash-san joined the Forwards 2 girls in taking down sections of monsters on our left flank. Despite his frivolous attitude, he was quite an impressive swordsman with his twin swords as he combined well with Cinque-san, Deed-san and Nove-san in taking down several of the larger summons while the other girls carried out their zoning duties efficiently as well. I watched in awe as a particularly large skeletal dragon was cut apart easily by a four-way aerial manoeuvre from the relatively rookie flyer and the three combat cyborgs, before being blown to pieces when Cinque-san impaled a sword-length Stinger into its torso that detonated soon after.

Meanwhile, a giant mass of lightning energy erupted from a pink staff nearby alerted me to Jeane-san who was supporting the Forwards 3, taking out large sections of summons at once from a distance before the Lieze twins, Uncle Kyoya and Aunt Miyuki went after the nearer and more dispersed enemies that eluded her amazing thunder spells. Her spells were easily on par with at least our double S spells, but she still had her flirtatious smile on her face while she fired off one after another nonchalantly. I'm beginning to think mages from Lazlo's world have some sort of unlimited magic batteries in them, judging by how they expend spells the way they do.

The Wolkenritter were supported by the two Viki-sans who were taking out large sections of the enemy monsters by teleporting them all over the place and into each other, earning an amused look from their fellow teleportress Shamal at such an innovative application of teleportation for combat. Meanwhile, Arf-san and Zafira-san assumed their humanoid forms and joined Signum-san and Vita-san in close and midrange battles, protecting Aunt Hayate who served as their main spell artillery, unloading powerful spells one after another.

Thanks to everyone's help, we managed to get close enough to the shield to begin our own attack. The five bearers of the elemental True Runes raised our hands into the air and began to pool the runes' powers together, generating a large sphere of light that erupted towards the shield, causing part of the shield to waver under the impact but ultimately not enough to break it. The other rune bearers followed suit and channelled their rune's powers at the same point, causing that section of the shield to become strained. But yet the shield held.

"Put your backs into it. We need more power!" hissed Zerase-san at the persistence of the shield.

As I was wondering where we can find that extra firepower, I heard three familiar voices call out.

"Starlight Breaker!"

"Plasma Zanber!"

"Ragnorak Breaker!"

Three streams of intense pink, yellow and dark blue magical energy slammed into that point as Nanoha-mama, Fate-mama and Aunt Hayate directed their most powerful spells, giving our combined attack the required muscle to create a small hole in the shield. However, the shield appears to be fighting back as well and the hole gradually shrank due to our inability to sustain our level of magical assault for too long. Before I could say anything, I felt myself being carried up and flown towards the small breach.

"P-Persmerga-san!"

"Be quiet girl. What we both want are inside there no?" snapped the other black knight as we flew into through the hole just before it closed up behind us.

I nodded as I looked forwards at where the black and white flashes are coming from, gripping my own sword tightly.

_I'm coming. Let's do this!_

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_Damn, he's just toying with me here. But I can't find an opening to use the spell. What a predicament. I can't let the Beast Rune and the Sovereign Rune be bled any longer by the Hachifusa, or all this will be for naught._

"What's the matter Island Boy? Plotting something fun?"

I gritted my teeth and lunged after him with my white blade, drawing a block from one of his black blades while his other thrust straight at my face, forcing me to dodge to one side. While I was unbalanced by the suddenness of the dodge he swerved around and connected a hefty kick which knocked me some distance back before charging forward with both swords raised in a cross slash, going in for the kill while I was still vulnerable. Just when it was about to connect, a white and purple blade appeared from my left and blocked the blow while another large runic blade appeared from the right and opened a gash on Yuber's back. Howling more out of frustration of having his kill taken away then the pain, Yuber turned towards the owner of the runic blade and growled before going head to head with the newcomer.

"You!"

As I turned towards the owner of the unfamiliar sword, I found instead a familiar face and voice in front of me.

"Fancy meeting you here."

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Author's Notes:

Here's the end of the chapter. The next chapter will have the climatic final battle in it, so please look forward to it, although it might really take some time since I have other datelines to make.

The chapter has a little of everything I suppose; strategy, action, character close-ups and the continuation of the plot to where Lazlo is. But I guess it's nothing to spectacular. After all, it wouldn't be good to steal the thunder from the final battle.

As usual, please review if you have constructive comments or questions. The story's ending soon, so there aren't many chances left. That's all for now.

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Omake 21: It's a Tenkai thing

R: They did it! They made it through!

Z: Hmmph. The plan worked, surprisingly.

S: That's right. The shield was much stronger than we anticipated, but they managed to make it through somehow.

M: A miracle perhaps.

T: Nah, it's a Tenkai star thing.

R: Yep! The ability to make the impossible possible. We would know.

J: As expected of the Tenkai star.

H (scratches his head and turns to C & G): Is that so… who was the Tenkai star during our Great War then?

C & G (at the same time): Thomas.

H: Oh…


	26. Chapter 26

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 25: Another Beginning

_What the…_

"V-Vivio! What the heck are you doing here!? Oof!"

Before I could finish expressing my surprise and disbelief, the blonde in question had charged into me in what might have been a flying tackle slash hug, taking the wind out of me while sending me flying back.

"Baka! What were you thinking leaving me alone like that!? Do you know how worried I had been! Jerk! Ahou! That means idiot times two in Japanese, you IDIOT!" screamed the said blonde, bawling into my chest before tightening her grip around me. Strangely enough, I felt both glad and upset at seeing her here.

"I'm sorry for making you so worried… but you really shouldn't be here. Don't take it the wrong way, but you're the last person I wanted to see at the moment. If anything should happen to you, who should I save the world for?" I said softly, stroking the blonde tresses that I loved so much.

"That's why you're an idiot… you really think I can live on without you now that I know for sure how much I love you? You could have just waited, joined the fleet, attacked together and then go back home together like a hero…" mumbled Vivio softly as she looked up at me with those shining eyes.

"No… I'm no hero. I'm not risking my life for the world, only you. Besides… that's not possible… there won't be a return journey for me… I have only one shot to deal with Yuber, and that spell will definitely take my life in exchange. My future was to end in a few moments…" Miscoloured eyes widened in alarm as she took in the information.

"Lazlo… you can't…"

I gave a sad laugh at that. "You're right, I can't anymore. If I unleashed that spell, it might save the world and everything, but you'll die along with me trapped within Yuber's Chaos Shield. There would be no point in it anymore."

I felt her hands untangle from my waist before wrapping around my left arm. "No matter what, I'm here now and there's no way I'll let you die alone. Besides, what type of Tenkai star will I be if I can't protect the soul of my most important person?"

I arched my eyebrow at that.

"You're the Tenkai star!?"

"Yep. Leknaat-san wanted me to pass a message: you were never meant to be the Tenkai, but rather the Tenei, he who protects and guides the Tenkai. Surprised? But there's more."

My beloved flashed me an impudent grin before raising her right hand where a familiar pale green light glowed brilliantly.

"Surprise!"

"True Wind… Luc's…"

Her head nodded lightly as she snuggled further into me. "Luc-san chose me as the successor of the True Wind and told me to take care of you. I plan to keep that promise, mind, body, soul and all."

I was at a loss for words. I turned to look at Persmerga and Yuber still clashing head to head evenly in the distance, but that's only because Yuber hasn't turned the Hachifusa's powers on him yet. Now's the opening I had be waiting for. It's either now or never…

"What is it that you want to do then Vivio, my beloved star?" I asked, giving the stage back to its rightful owner.

"I… I want to save the world, or rather worlds. Even though it's no longer for me, you nor us, I still have my family and friends to think about, people I wish to save and have survived with a future." Vivio replied, with eyes so steeled with resolve that reminded me of the former…

"Fine then. To save the world my beloved wants saved… that's a good enough reason for me. But are you sure?"

The blonde head bobbed up and down.

"It'll hurt…"

Her hands squeezed tightly around my left as she burrowed her head into the nook of my shoulder.

"No it won't."

"Alright then."

I smiled gently at her as I called out to my white sword.

"Yukishiro, reopen the design for Martyr's Call. Create an additional power linkage to Vivio's Right hand, and extend the Chain system around both our bodies."

"Yes my sovereign. Commencing adjustments now." replied her digital voice.

"Velvet Lancer, help Yukishiro as best you can with the adjustments." commanded Vivio of her device.

"Affirmative, my friend." acknowledged her device.

"Thanks, you guys, for everything." I said, expressing my gratitude towards the two swords for their help and eventual sacrifice as blue circuits began extending and entwining around both Vivio and myself.

"It's been my honour my sovereign."

"Bitte, my friend."

As the last of the circuits was being completed and saved, I turned towards the two battling black knights before a wry smile crept back to my face.

"You're doing your suspicious smile thingy again." commented my beloved blonde with amusement on her face.

"Shall we give Yuber one last omiyage for all the trouble he's caused? Our chapter doesn't seem complete without giving him a good thrashing."

Vivio gave a cute chuckle, one that I added to my list of what I loved about my beloved blonde.

"Why not?"

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After a series of clashes, a heavy downward slash by large runic sword found itself blocked by two thinner black blades as the two black knights sought to overwhelm the other through their raw power and vicious attacks, slashing wildly at each other with abandon. The blades eventually ended up in another deadlocked as the two knights snarled and taunted at each other during this brief reprieve.

"Why won't you give a rest Persmerga? You know you can't defeat me, ever!"

"You're still as annoying as ever Yuber!"

At that moment, the two knights suddenly felt a powerful yet familiar presence to their left and turned in time to see a certain blonde swordsmen appear out of thin air while a digital voice sounded out.

"Kamaitachi."

The swordsman flashed past the two knights while opening a gash on the torso of the owner of the two black blades.

"Damn you Island Bo…"

Before he could complete his curse, another voice sounded from behind him.

"Sonic Move UE."

A white and purple blade impaled into him from behind with extreme velocity, causing him to lurch forwards slightly, giving the white blade enough time to announce another attack as the other ripped its own path out violently from one side of the demon.

"Silhouette Cut."

Eight images of the blonde swordsman appeared and tore through the demon sword-first as white blades cut his body in eight different directions, eventually rejoining into one behind the demon before calling out to the other black knight.

"Persmerga!"

The said black knight had charged up his sword with raw runic energy during the quick double team attack and unleashed a scathing slash attack upon the call to do so, sending the other black knight reeling helplessly through space momentarily before he regained control of himself.

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"Why you…" growled Yuber as his sudden numerous wounds struggled to close itself together. He raised his right hand and dark energy began to cackle around it when Lazlo appeared out from nowhere once again and aimed a Kamaitachi for that right hand, hoping to tear the rune out along with the arm, forcing the demon to block with his own blades, hence interrupting the spell.

Yuber howled at the audacity of the blonde swordsman and was about to bring his other sword into a slash when he noticed another white and purple blade gunning for his right hand, barely keeping it attached as he made another hasty block. At that moment, Lazlo called out to Persmerga.

"Persmerga, keep Yuber and his right hand occupied. Buy us some time."

The black knight with the lone runic sword roared in acknowledgement and continued the attempts to take the other knight's arm off, resulting in a renewed series of clashes between the two. Except this time, the heavily wounded Yuber was having trouble fending off the frenzied attacks of the other as effectively as before and was gradually losing ground as desperation set in.

By this time, Vivio had flown next to Lazlo and the two nodded at each other.

"Yukishiro, activate the final spell. I'll rename it The Last Duet."

"Program name accepted. Commencing."

The previous magic circuit reappeared and entwined around the two blondes rapidly as the magical energy began to flow from their runes into their respective swords. Vivio's hands tightened her hold on Lazlo's when the blue circuits around them started to glow increasingly brighter, eventually turning to white as the energies started their amplification phase, circulating mammoth amounts of runic energy around the circuits and their bodies. The two of them could feel their bodies start disintegrating from the supercharged powers of Wind and Punishment, the intensity of raw indescribable pain as their own existences begin to come apart, but yet their hands remained interlocked more tightly then ever. Their swords began to crack and crumble under duress from the intensity of the energy gathered before their images were lost to a blinding explosion of white light.

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The sudden flash of light distracted Persmerga only slightly, but it was enough for Yuber to charge enough energy in his right hand to unleash a searing black fireball at him, blowing him halfway across the length of the sphere. Turning to the source of the helpful flash, he flashed his favourite maniacal grin.

"Hahaha! So you did have something up your sleeve. Well, let's see if it can stand up against the power of the Hachifusa now! How fun is that!? Hahaha."

The glow of the Beast and Sovereign Runes concealed within his body began to dim even further, coming dangerously close to the blink of extinguishment, while the the Hachifusa glowed with an even more severe black light. From the extended hand of the demon, a wall-like wave of pure and complete darkness expanded outwards towards the white light amidst the hysterical laughter of anticipation and perverse excitement.

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Meanwhile, the battle outside the shield was all but over as the remaining rune bearers made short work of more than half of the summoned creatures; either through directly banishing the summoned creatures with the force of their own True Runes, as in the case of Milia, Sierra, the Star Dragon Sword and Takamachi Shiro, or by extreme combat magic, as in the case of the remaining four Elemental Runes, the Souleater and the two halves of the Rune of Beginning. The other mages were mopping up the few packs of creatures remaining when they began to fade and dissipate into black particles. Just as the fleet was wondering what happened, a large flash of light appeared from within the dark sphere, illuminating it enough for the mages to peer through it.

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Both Riou and Jowy winced a little as their runes began to glow fiercely as what lay previously hidden within the shield gradually came into view.

"Riou?, Jowy? What's the matter?" asked Tir in concern for their expressions of pain.

"The Black Sword Rune… It's… excited…" answered Jowy slowly.

"The Bright Shield Rune too." added Riou who was clutching his hand.

"What the…" commented Sierra as a large vertical column of white light came into view, followed by a wall of darkness.

"No way… it's…" began an astonished Takamichi Shiro.

"The Sword and the Shield…" finished all the stunned rune bearers at once.

Being the only one with memories from the last time something like this happened, the Star Dragon Sword barked an order at the awestruck people before it.

"Don't just stand there gawking like freaking idiots! We need to get EVERYONE out of here! NOW! HURRY!"

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Within the column of intense white light, despite their bodies having ceased to exist, despite their devices having crumbled into nothingness, Lazlo and Vivio's hands remained intertwined, their consciousness still present as it stayed connected to the very mass of energy that they had created for now.

"Lazlo? Are we dead?" the blonde girl asked curiously.

"Who knows? That's something I haven't tried yet." came the amused reply which earned another chuckle from the girl.

"A first for anything, right?"

Lazlo looked into the distance and saw the black wall of darkness advancing towards them.

"Shall we finish what we started?" he asked gently.

"Let's."

With that, the two lovers directed their will towards the column of light.

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The white column of light created by the sacrifice of two lovers slashed downwards against the wall of darkness created by the demon. The two powers clashed head on unto each other, one assuming the form of the proverbial sword, but one borne not out of destruction but rather of a desire to protect the continuation of life while the other took the form of the proverbial shield, one that aims to foster destruction and to protect the ambitions of the darkness and the end, neither willing to admit defeat to the other. Eventually, the energy from the conflict began to build up before finally, it reached critical mass and a second explosion of energy, one greater than any previously known in history save its very beginning erupted into being, shattering the persistent Chaos Shield that had enclosed them as though it was made of flimsy glass.

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As the pent up energy from the two powers exploded outwards, disintegrating everything formerly within the sphere, the two captured True Runes were released from the body of a certain black figure as he was thrown backwards by the unforeseen violence of the explosion. Growling once again in frustration at having come so close, the gradually disintegrating black knight tried to reach for at least one of the Runes that he had dropped with a slowly fragmenting arm when he felt a familiar runic sword pierce through his back again. He turned around and snarled at the madly grinning face behind.

"YOU!!!"

"HAHAHA!" exclaimed the other black knight as he lapsed into maniacal laughter reminiscent of the former.

"I have you now… Now die, Brother! Die by my hand and the Hachifusa will be MINE!"

"WHY YOU LITTLE…!"

The two figures began tousling between each other once again as they eventually disintegrated into nothingness as well, back into the darkness that spawned them.

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The light of the cataclysmic explosion gradually began to fade. Just as in the proverbial sword and the shield, everything caught in the conflict was shattered, leaving only four symbols in its wake, each shining brilliantly as though they were reborn anew from the jewels once again. Might this be a beginning or an end, history shall decide. For history has been allowed to continue… for now.

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Author's Notes:

Finally the final conflict. How do you think? I might edit it further if I have the time, but since I'm pretty tired at this point, I'll leave it as this for now. I've always intended for it to resemble the creation myth, so I hope it looks somewhat like it.

The bit with Persmerga and Yuber is purely my own conceptualisation, so please take it to be true only in context of my story, with a pinch of salt. It's my take on why the two look so much alike and also explains why one is so adamant of chasing down the other to kill him. Perhaps the Hachifusa created two vessels so that they'll have competition which will make them stronger in the long run? It could happen.

As usual, please review. This chapter is still subject to revision, so any good suggestions might still be used.

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Omake 22: Did I forget something?

(While L and V were still suspended in the column of light.)

L: Hmmm…

V: What is it L?

L: I can't help thinking I've forgotten to do something…

V: What? Is it something to do with the spell? It won't backfire will it?

L: Well… not exactly, although we are risking a whole lot of collateral damage by casting it.

V: … What else could you have forgotten at this crucial point of time?

L: Oh yes, I remember now. It's exactly because it's this crucial point of time.

V: Huh… what are you…

(V backs away slightly before being scooped up in a princess cradle.)

L (whispering into V's ears): We seem to have forgotten the most important thing.

V (shivering slightly as L's breath tickled her ear): L-L… you can't be serious… h-here? N-now?

L (claims her lips softly): Of course. What type of romantic ending would this be without our last kiss.

V (finally let out the breath she's holding): O-Oh… so that's what you mean…

L (with that suspicious smile again): Oh… you sound disappointed. What kind of naughty things did you thinking I would be doing, my little star?

V (her head finally explodes in multiple shades of red): L!!! MOU! You're impossible!

L (smirks as he got what he was aiming for): I know. I'm an impossibility.


	27. Chapter 27

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 26: An Ode to the End

The four symbols pulsated with the light of newly formed stars, illuminating the darkness of space with their dazzling glory as their brilliance lingered in place of the tumultuous clash that decided the fate of the worlds, the eventuality of the end rescinded for now by the act of two and the combined destinies of the hundred and eight. The shines of the four runes continued for some moments before eventually fading back into their normal and less glaring glows. Two of the symbols pulsated fiercely one last time, one with chrome and the other white light respectively, before streaking off towards the other end of the space, into the unknown. The remaining two symbols glowed as well, one with black and scarlet, the other pale green, as they two streaked off. But their destinations were not for the unknown, but rather a familiar destination a little off in the distance.

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Meanwhile, back on the Claudia…

"Nanoha…" whispered the blonde gently as she rocked a sobbing brunette lightly within her embrace, blinking off tears of her own as well. "We discussed it before… it was Vivio's choice…"

"I know Fate… but she's gone… let me cry for now Fate…"

"Uhm…" she snuggled into her hair. "I'm going to cry as well. Hold me too, please."

"Hai…"

That said, the two wrapped their arms tighter around each other as they wept quietly, not wanting their sorrow to override the brave act of sacrifice that they had somehow always come to expect, from the very moment their child made clear her intent to follow the one she loved.

Erio looked at the two strongest women he knew crying with such dignified and controlled grief that renewed pangs of loss swept into his heart. Looking at the other people around him, his heart was morbidly gladdened that he was not alone in the sentiment. Everyone felt for the two lost stars; even the normally stoic members of the fleet like Cinque and Zafira were not impervious to some wetness pervading their eyes.

"I don't even know how to console them anymore…" he uttered softly for the ears those close to him.

"I know…" sobbed the pink summoner, trying her best to rub the tears from her eyes. "I don't know how to console myself either."

"I… I think it is fine to cry for now. So I will too…" comforted Lutecia gently, patting the pink head lightly.

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The party of otherworldly mages gathered in one corner of the room, finding themselves split between the sense of relief at the continued safety of their world and the sense of loss that seemed to have taken the gilt of their success.

"I hate this." commented Tir quietly.

"I know. To win and lose at the same time… Why do things always seem to turn out this way?" agreed Riou knowingly, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Perhaps sacrifice is the cost of peace. They are true warriors and heroes in every sense of the word; there is no greater honour than falling in battle, especially in a battle as epic as that." added Hugo with wizened sentiments.

"That's right. To feel excessively for them would tarnish the memories of all others we had seen fell in battle in our long lives. Let us just recognise their achievement and sacrifice and leave it at that." agreed Milia who had Sharon sobbing lightly in her arms as well.

A general round of appreciative nods went round the group save for the less human and more experienced members.

"Where are you guys going?" asked Chris out of curiosity at the several older comrades breaking away from the group.

"Kids." remarked Sierra dryly as she made for the centre of the room.

"Yes, it is in their nature to be fools it seems." observed Zerase as she too followed suit.

"They're still human for their age after all." added Geddoe stoically alongside the other two.

"What are your thoughts on this Geddoe?" asked Jeane with that wry but still flirtatious smile of hers.

"Someone as annoying him won't die so easily. He's like an insect after all." came the observant reply.

As they reached the middle of the room, a bright blue flashed appeared.

"About time."

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The blue flash faded away to reveal the familiar visage of the blind seer as she held her hands outwards and spoke with modest deference.

"Hail to you stars of destiny for the resolution of this crisis. On behalf of the many worlds that have been saved, I offer my humblest of gratitude"

"Leknaat-san… we didn't do much… it was all Vivio and Lazlo." answered Nanoha who had straightened herself out before addressing the seer.

"I see. I'll remember to thank them later." replied the blind visage with that suspicious smile again.

"Leknaat-san… they're gone…" corrected Nanoha as tears threatened to flow once again from restating that finality.

The seer turned towards the black druid lady.

"Zerase, the tablet of stars please."

"As you wish."

A faint twinkling of stars appeared overhead as a black tablet materialised into being, every slot within filled with words that were glowing with brilliant gold and amber. The pale visage smiled gently at the sight.

"I take it Lazlo had mentioned how every star of destiny plays a part in the resolution of a Great War? It matters not if the stars play a leading role or otherwise, the resonation of fates is not one to be taken lightly, nor is its enormity meant for the comprehension of mortal beings."

At that very moment, two streaks of light streaked in from the flight deck and hovered before the blind seer's visage in the centre of the room, its glow increasing is size and intensity until two spheres of pale green and black scarlet appeared.

"It is by no chance coincidence that the combined fates of the hundred and eight stars work in the same mysterious way as, say miracles. Now, one really shouldn't question why miracles happen, but accept it as such. Don't you agree Takamichi Nanoha?"

As if on cue, the spherical cocoons of light expanded and dispersed outwards in a flash, revealing two familiar shapes within.

"What the…" came the familiar voice of blonde girl.

"Phew… I thought something like this might happen. Sometimes I'm glad I'm right all the time." replied the familiar voice of a blonde young man as well.

The sight of the two stunned everyone in the room into silence, save the less human and more experienced ones who looked on slightly disinterestedly. One of them, dressed in a black hooded cloak promptly made her way to the blonde male and proceeded to clobber the back of his head with a raised fist.

"You idiot! How was what you did any better than that Yuber!? Have you any idea how close the world came to ending from your stupid re-enactment of the sword and the shield? Do you even comprehend how dumb that was? Have you even the faculty for thought?"

"Well, it worked didn't it? I didn't see any other way of dealing with Yuber, did you?" replied the blonde, rubbing the back of his head gingerly.

"Of all the foolish…" before the black druid could finish, a cry of elation erupted from the two mothers of the other blonde as they rushed at her.

"VIVIO!"

The said blonde found herself engulfed within the arms of the two women who were currently hugging her so tightly that breathing had become quite impossible. Even so, she caved in to the warmth of their bosoms and sighed contentedly as she uttered a single word.

"Heheh… Tadaima."

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After another general round of applause and congratulatory backslapping, things finally calmed down enough for the two recently returned blondes to address the blind seer.

"Leknaat-san. How is it that we are still alive?" asked Vivio incredulously but thankfully nonetheless.

The pale image turned towards Lazlo with that smile again.

"You didn't tell her?"

"That's your job isn't it Matron? Besides I wasn't sure it would work out, so I didn't want to keep her hopes up." came the dry wit and that wry smile.

As the pale visage mirrored that smile briefly, a not so random thought struck the blonde girl suddenly. _So that's where he gets that suspicious smile._ She didn't have time to think too much of the issue before the seer addressed her once again.

"Takamichi Vivio, bearer of the True Wind and Tenkai star of this gathering, you united the hearts of those guided by the stars and gave proper form to the destinies of not just the stars present here but the lives of countless others in the many world. The fates are not oblivious to those who take up their trials and challenges; a small miracle is only fair reward for the troubles. Of course the scale of that miracle coincides with the size of the task imposed, but I'd say you two scored more than few points in that aspect."

"Heheh… I guess." acknowledged Vivio with a small blush as Lazlo merely nodded his head dumbly, playing the fool as usual.

"What are you two going to do now?" asked Nanoha upon chancing a break in their conversation.

"Well…" mused Lazlo at the query. "I guess I'm still a wanted felon in the eyes of the law. I can't imagine breaking out of jail doing me any favour in that regard." Looking at his left hand, he continued. "I suppose we've made too much of a ruckus to keep this a secret anymore either."

Vivio looked at her own right hand as well. "The runes complicate things I guess…"

"Perhaps you two should lay low for a while." suggested Carim as she stepped forward with Acous. "We'll do what we can with the council and… other loose ends."

"Well, where should we go…" thought Vivio aloud.

"For now home." answered Fate as she drew her in for another hug. "We'll take it from there one step at a time."

At that moment, the pale visage spoke up once more.

"With regards to that, in recognition of your efforts in this war, I would like to extend my invitation for you to join Magician's Isle officially. It's a place of great learning and purpose that exists beyond the reach of time, a place where ageless ones such as yourself can truly be at home."

"Hey Leknaat-san!" exclaimed Nanoha hurriedly. "You can't take her away just when she came back to us!"

The blind seer smiled sadly at the flustered mother.

"That is also the fate bearers of True Runes must face. Things maybe fine for now, but in ten, twenty years, her lack of aging will only become more pronounced and apparent, even by the slower rate most powerful mages age in your world. It is a sad fact, but mortal man can never truly accept those who are so different from them. She also bears the responsibility of the True Rune's powers. Power always attracts those who seek it for their own purposes. Staying at any other place for any extended period of time without attracting trouble is difficult for a runebearer. I'm sure the others can attest to that."

Brief nods of acknowledgement were issued from the other runebearers present.

"But…" insisted Nanoha stubbornly, despite having been swayed by the reason in her words before she felt Fate's comforting hand on her shoulder. But the blind seer's voice became gentler as she added as an afterthought.

"Of course… as any ageless one would know, farewells are rarely lasting in their long eternities. Isn't that right Lazlo?"

"Huh?" went Vivio and Nanoha simultaneously.

"What she means is that we can't stay at one point for too long, but that doesn't mean we can't travel around." explained Lazlo calmly before looking at Viki with a twitching eyebrow. "Although getting here would be quite the hassle…"

At that, the two mothers heaved a soft sigh of relief before turning to their child once again.

"It's your choice Vivio. What do you think?"

The blonde girl thought for a moment before answering. "I'll go to Magician's Isle. Even though I have access to some of the rune's memories and powers, there's still much I need to learn with regards to its control and power." The tinge on her cheeks reddened slightly before she continued. "Besides Lazlo will be there…"

The two mothers smiled knowingly at that admission before the brunette decided to get a little playful and pretended to sob again.

"But Fate… our little girl is growing up too fast. I'm not ready for her to leave us so soon."

Taking the cue, Fate replied in kind. "There there, Nanoha. You heard what Leknaat-san and Lazlo said; she can always visit. They don't have to leave immediately either. Besides, all girls have to leave the nest someday. Look on the bright side dear; at least now we can look forward to a magou or two now."

"Mago-… Mou! Mama! Don't go saying things like that! We're not even married yet…" she slapped her hand over her mouth quickly upon noticing the slip, but it was too late. Her face was already several shades of pink and crimson by now.

"Yet, you say eh?" drawled Lazlo with that suspicious smile once again.

"MOU! YAMATTE!" went the blonde as smoke rose from her face and ears amidst the amused laughter of everyone present.

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Over the next few days, things went almost back to normal as the members of the fleet dispersed back to their respective posts and the otherworldly guests took some time to look around this new, unfamiliar world and be celebrated for their part in resolving the crisis. However, by some strange act of providence, the elder Viki had managed to sneeze her way out of Mobile Section 6's cafeteria just before they had their victory celebrations there once again. Little Viki was tempted to follow straight after her, but decided to stay on just a little longer in order to send the others back later on.

After a period of frenzied packing and family get-togethers, the day finally approached for the big sending off amidst the company of many friends and comrades. As the otherworldly guests began blinking back one by one to where they came from, some loose ends needed to be tied with the sole remaining member; one who wears an eyepatch over his right eye.

"Lazlo." came the cold gruff voice.

"Geddoe. I'm still surprised you came." answered Lazlo honestly.

"Your girl there offered me a good deal. I have yet to be paid though."

The blonde man frowned. "You can't have her eye."

"That's exactly what she said. She mentioned you had your reasons for that time, but I'm not interested in that. You did save him when his rune went berserk, so I'll let it slide for now." He began to draw his blade. "What I want is closure. You had always played the fool in our company, even when you took my eye. What I want is a serious duel."

A wry smile crossed the blonde swordsman's face as he materialised his sword as well. "Fine. If you think you can handle it."

"C-c-chouto mata! Isn't there a better way to resolve your differences?" began Vivio hurriedly at the prospect of another cataclysmic clash between the two vastly experienced swordsmen and runebearers. "Please say something to them Fate-mama, Nanoha-mama!"

"Vivio's right. We can't let you do that Geddoe-san." agreed Fate-san cheerfully.

"Sou sou…" continued Vivio halfway before she got interrupted by the sight of Bardiche setting up into Zanber form.

"I haven't got to duel him yet either. I'm afraid you have to wait in line."

"FATE-MAMA!" she looked hurriedly to her other mama for help only to find, to her dismay, the said mother clutching Raging Heart in Excellion mode.

"Count me in too! I've been itching to Starlight Breaker him for a while now."

Signum stepped forward with Levantine ready too. "How about one last one for the road as well, Lazlo?"

"Mou…" groaned the exasperated blonde at how quickly the situation spiralled out of hand before she felt a familiar hand pat her head.

"I will be fine. Strongest mage in the world remember?" Lazlo turned to the two mothers. "How about we up the stakes a little? I hear they're taking bets there too."

"What the… ERIO! CARO! LUTECIA!" went Nanoha in her booming instructor voice.

"Sorry…" came the sheepish apologies.

"What do you suggest?" asked Fate with a knowing smile.

The blonde swordsman pulled the two aside out of earshot of a certain blonde for a moment before Nanoha broke out in a flurry of flustered gestures while looking at Vivio, needing her Fate to calm her down. When they rejoined the other two challengers and the blonde girl, the said girl asked an innocent question.

"What's the bet?"

Nanoha began to growl again as Lazlo replied airily. "Naisho."

"Mou…"

The blonde swordsman looked at the four challengers and breathed a weary sigh. "It will take some time to go through all four of you one by one. How about you guys attack at once?"

The eyebrow on Geddoe's good eye arched quizzically. "Even if you're a stupid conceited idiot, there has to be some common sense left in you somewhere."

"That's right. It's not honourable to win or lose by virtue of numbers." agreed a slightly annoyed Signum that got nods from the other two women.

"Outnumbered?" came that suspicious smile once again before the blue gem on Yukishiro glowed, turning one blonde swordsman into four who charged at the challengers, forcing them to parry four very real blades. "Who do you think you're speaking to?"

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A few days after one of the largest and longest series of welcoming banquets ever held on the island, the two blondes found themselves in their shared room… lying on their shared four-poster bed… simply chatting and sharing their thoughts while reading some tomes on runic lore.

"Hey, Lazlo…"

"Yes, Vivio?"

"I feel like learning blinking from the two Viki-sans… What do you think? Maybe if I work at it, I will be able to visit my mamas sooner rather than later?"

"Well, I'm sure you'll be better at it than the older Viki sooner rather than later too. You know, Matron's doubled the seven year balance of leave I was supposed to have and extended it to you as well. If you're homesick already, we can always visit."

"No no… I'm not homesick… I'm just worried that I won't be able to fit in here. Everything needs some getting used to…"

Lazlo sat up and gazed at her with concern as a rare lapse of insecurity welled up in him.

"Have you ever regretted accepting the True Wind? The burden of the rune's sentience, powers and responsibilities aside, you even had to give up your friends and family for my sake… not to mention you're also trapped in the form of a seventeen year old like me…"

Before Lazlo could finish, he found a hand covering his mouth, preventing him from rambling on.

"The answer is no. I followed you into oblivion once, and I'll still go wherever you are going as well. With regards to my body…" she gave a suggestive wink. "It's not that bad is it? Perhaps I'll just have to find a certain paedophile who wants me then."

"Paedophile reporting." answered the blonde male as he pulled the other onto him, wrapping his arms around her slender waist in a tight hug, causing cute blushes to appear on both faces at the intimacy.

"I-I've always imagined myself getting married first you know…" stuttered the blonde girl. Lazlo merely smiled back wryly.

"That's not an issue now is it? I did beat those four down into the ground the other day."

"The other day… usou… you mean I was the bet?"

The blonde young man gave his best innocent look, which was really quite poor despite his best effort.

"You didn't think I'd go all out like that without something in it for me did you?"

"No…" she uttered as her smile became coy and her eyes filled with a suspicious mischief of her own.

"Come get your reward then."

"I could get used to an eternity of this…" muttered Lazlo just before his smile were claimed by his beloved.

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Author's Notes:

Here's the official end of the series. Well, there might still be room for a little more. I'm working on the SOD list, so that might be interesting. I might add a few bonus standalone omake chapters about what happened during the sight-seeing trips later on if I have the time and energy to do so as it might make for an interesting R&R and fluffy read. My thanks to those who bothered to read through the entire series. I hope it has been as entertaining reading it as it was for me to write it. As usual, reviews are always welcomed. I can always use them for future fanfics. Later then.

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Omake 23: The Real Epilogue

(Lazlo and Vivio had been called into Leknaat's chambers later on.)

Lazlo: Matron, you called?

Leknaat (smiling her suspicious smile): Ah yes. I have a few little errands for you to run.

Vivio: B-but we just got here!

Leknaat (still smiling her suspicious smile): Oh yes, that's right. I liked the souvenirs very much by the way Lazlo.

Lazlo (mutters softly while looking at Vivio): I'm still sure you had it planned somehow…

Leknaat (still smiling that suspicious smile…): Anyway, I call it errands, but it's really just to clear up some of the messes you made earlier.

Vivio: W-what? But we just got here! How could we have gotten into a mess already?

Leknaat (that suspicious smile never really slipping): Well, your little showdown with Yuber the other day made quite a ruckus on more than a few worlds and places. We can't just leave them to clear these things up on their own, now can we? You'll agree that we need to responsible for our own messes right, Vivio?

Vivio: That's true… but… the Yuber thing was unavoidable…

Leknaat (somehow her suspicious smile felt more than a little creepy now): Yes, that may be true, but surely you're not going to leave the poor innocent people out there to endure the mess that you two made during that little fight now are you? Think of all the good you can do.

Vivio (agrees reluctantly): Hai…

(All the while, Lazlo was smiling fondly at Vivio's reactions to her first encounter with his Matron. They eventually left her room and were walking down the halls to their room to pack.)

Vivio: I see where you get that highly suspicious smile of yours… and also… it feels oddly disturbing how I felt like a sheep being led around in circles like that.

(Lazlo pats her head and ruffles her hair lovingly.)

Lazlo: See, you're getting used to this place already.


	28. Chapter 28

Higher Powers by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series, or the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series for that matter. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

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Chapter 27: Hundred and Eight

Tenkai Star: Takamichi Vivio – Becomes the newest star of the Runekeepers and the third teleportress on Magician's Isle. Possessing what Luc and those before lacked, namely her cheerful personality and the eternal love of her beloved one, she surpasses the True Wind's memories, powers and the visions of the grey future in time to come. Marries her beloved one eventually in the largest non-magical ritual on the Isle's history.

Tenki Star: Gil Graham – After the war, retires once again back to his country home in England with his familiars despite calls to continue his consultant role in the TSAB. Remains unofficial advisor to his younger friends and relatives though, often with timely and effective advice.

Tenyu Star: Chrono Haloun – Gains prestige and reputation for his leadership role in the crisis and is promoted to the rank of Fleet Admiral and instated as commander-in-chief of the TSAB Navy Forces soon after. Continues his duties as protector of the free worlds with diligence, albeit at times too much of it, much to his wife's annoyance.

Tenmou Star: Vita – Returns to her post in the Wolkenritter and continues to devote herself towards the protection of her mistress and family. Helps out occasionally in training the next generation of Forwards for Mobile Section 6.

Tenei Star: Lazlo En Kuldes – Despite grumbling about it once in a while, he grudgingly reprises his role as number one Runekeeper once again, more at peace with himself and his duties. Fights in different capacities in many interventionist missions alongside his beloved one. Repeatedly tries to use his fourteen year balance of vacation but keeps getting sidetracked by that suspicious smile and "Save it for later. You'll really need it eventually."

Tenfu Star: Eresh – Continues her role in the Runekeepers and looks after various Sindar runes and artifacts in the many worlds, hoping to chance upon the return of her brethren some day.

Tenko Star: Takamichi Nanoha – Demonstrates why she was awarded the renowned moniker "White Devil" for her overwhelming combat ability and quiet glee on the field during the crisis. Remains in active service as an instructor with Mobile Section 6 for ten more years amidst persistent calls for promotion and transfer requests by other units. Eventually retires quietly with her wife for some peace of mind, inheriting Mid-Childa's Midoriya that was set up by her mother and Gil Graham, occasionally taking a contract job on behest of her childhood friend Yagami Hayate. That peace and quiet took a turn for the better as a trio of unexpected blondes turned up at the door one day.

Tenritsu Star: Sierra Mikain Latkje – Returns to Harmonia with her husband while keeping him perpetually on a short leash. Lives a relatively content and happy life with him for the rest of his natural life, before setting off to re-establish a new Blue Moon Village.

Tenan Star: Fate T. Takamichi – Gains much reputation from her impressive combat display during the crisis, but no monikers like her wife. Struggles to stay on in Mobile Section 6 among her family amidst constant calls for her to lead the Enforcers, eventually opting to retire alongside her wife after ten further years in service. Currently co-runs the café Midoriya, and eventually perfects her recipes for senbei and manjyu, helping the café become a greater hit with the customers than ever. She persists in not letting her wife anywhere near into kitchen though and was about to tick her off for doing so one day when she dropped everything she was holding at the sight of a young blonde couple carrying a small blonde girl alongside.

Tenku Star: Yagami Hayate – Rapidly promoted to the rank of Brigadier for her leadership role during the crisis but insisted on remaining commander for Mobile Section 6, continuing to treat her friends and subordinates as family. Promotes three surprise candidates as for the instructor roles vacated by her two best friends but continues to employ them intermittently with short contract capacities.

Teni Star: Edge – After receiving pointers with Kyoya and Miyuki Takamichi, he acknowledges his inadequacies as a swordsman and begins training diligently with renewed vigor. Eventually the Star Dragon Sword remonstrates him less and less, even though it never does tell him outright that he had already reached Viktor's level.

Tenbi Star: Chris Lightfellow – Returns to her post as leader of the Zexen Knights for a good few decades before relinquishing the role to her once squire Louis Keeferson in order to safeguard the increasing visibility of her True Water. Travels toward the western continent for some time afterwards before finding herself mysteriously drawn to a small boat heading for a misty isle.

Tentai Star: Reinforce II Zwei – Continues to stay by her mistress's side and helps out with her administrative duties. Spends decidedly more time with a certain other unison device though and was recently spotted holding hands by several nosey relatives.

Tenken Star: Tir McDohl – Continues his travels around the world, helping those in need of aid. Fights in several interventionist roles during this time, at times bumping into a certain blonde couple, a silver-haired maiden and other acquaintances. Has yet to accept the formal invite into Magician's Isle despite having similar convictions about duty and balance, prompting Lazlo to give him the wry title of honorary Runekeeper.

Tenzai Star: Ginga Nakajima – Promoted to warrant officer some time after the crisis and continues to stay by her father's side, helping to run both the 108th Battalion and their household, keeping it a home for them as well as Subaru when she returns occasionally

Tenpai Star: Yunno Scrya – With the knowledge and ideas gleamed from his discussions with Lazlo, he formulates new groundbreaking theories about magic, the Sindar and Al Hazred. Was recently offered chancellorship and chair positions by several of Mid Childa's prestigious universities and research institutes. Currently considering his options.

Tensui Star: Erio Mondial – Armed with his training from Lazlo and being one of the only three remaining practitioners of Unrestricted spells, becomes in hot demand from many other units and groups targeting that knowledge and power, prompting him to make a vow of silentude with regards to passing that knowledge without permission from his mentor. In order to get away from persistent calls and inspired by his encounter with the Dragon Knights of Toran, he leaves Mobile Section 6 with Caro and Lutecia to pioneer his own unit of Dragon Knights with the support of the Saint Church. Currently serves as Knight Commander within.

Tenkoku Star: Genya Nakijima – In recognition for his contribution and efforts during the crisis, he receives a surprise promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at his advanced age. Continues business as usual in the 108th Battalion, although he nags at his two daughters on when they're going to get married every so often.

Tengou Star: Sasarai – Upon returning to Harmonia secure with the knowledge of the eventual return of his master, he proceeds to sweep up corruption and disruptive influences within the Temple, Aristocracy and the Howling Voice with renewed ruthlessness and vigor, hoping to return Harmonia back to the vision of Order as intended by the One Hero before his return, resorting to his True Rune only when he really needs to, although the alternatives aren't really much better off…

Tenkan Star: Zerase – Despite swearing off chess after her return to Magician's Isle, she still finds herself running errands for a certain blind seer. Interestingly enough, she's often seen accompanied by a certain rune mistress who has taken to hanging by her arm every so often, although it's something she eventually gets used to.

Tenyu Star: Signum – After suffering the indignity of being first to fall in that crushing defeat, she resolves to level up her skills and triples her own efforts in training. Unfortunately for the new generation of forwards, she becomes one of the three instructors chosen by Hayate, becoming the ample replacement for the legendary "White Devil", much to their collective agony and dismay.

Teni Star: Persmerga – No one really knows what happened to the black knight or where and when he will turn up some day. The only thing for certain is that where Yuber is, he will be hot on his heels, sword, smirk and all.

Tenki Star: Caro Lu Rushe – As the most magically gifted practitioner of the Unrestricted spells, she suffers from persistent dubious offers from power hungry groups as well. She makes the same vow of silentude as Erio and strikes out with him and Lutecia to form the first unit of Dragon Knights under the Saint Church, serving as chief magic instructor and dragon summoner. Gradually reaches a comfortable understanding with Lutecia upon discovering a formerly forgotten tradition of polygamy from her tribe.

Tenman Star: Subaru Nakijima – Continues to head her own rescue squad under Disaster Planning and Humanitarian Aid. Finds out to her horror that she has developed a fanfollowing among the children as some sort of super sentai heroine, probably due to her affinity with rescuing children from disasters in her missions. Cheerfully continues her long term relationship with her long time best friend as well.

Tensyo Star: Hugo – Stays on as chief of Karaya for several decades before passing on the burden of leadership to a younger one. Stays on with the tribe as a favored sage and mentor to later generations, thankful for both the teachings and blessings of the Spirits of Wind and Earth for their easy acceptance of his eternal youth, hence sparing him the pain of separation common to many other runebearers.

Tensyo Star: Teana Lanstar – Distinguishing herself in battle, tactics and leadership during the crisis, she earns a promotion within the ranks of the Enforcers. Despite her disappointment at her mentor's adamant rejection of the leadership post, she gradually comes to terms with her decision and works diligently in her place, eventually earning calls to lead the Enforcers of her own, a post that she accepts with modest gratitude. Currently shares an apartment with her longtime friend, confidante and partner much to the other's insistence, not that she really minded.

Tenyu Star: Leknaat – Continues to watch over the world as the Keeper of Balance with her prophecies, dispatching the Runekeepers out to intervene as and when it is appropriate. After repeated appeals and rejections, she finally grants her favored children that promised fourteen year leave but specifically for a later date, along with dropping a bombshell with regards to a not so distant prophecy as a pre-going away present. Something about looking forward to being a grandmother…

Tensoku Star: Nash Latkje – Helps out Sasarai with his reforms of the three factions in Harmonia, eventually coming to lead the Howling Voice as one of its leaders. Despite becoming one of the most powerful people in Harmonia, he remains pleasantly married to his wife, though quietly henpecked in private.

Tensatsu Star: Agito – As the only member of the original Forwards 1 to remain with the unit, she continues to guide and assist the next generation of Forwards with her experience and powers. Recently caught red-handed stealing a kiss from a certain other unison device and has never been able to stop the teasing ever since.

Tenkyu Star: Cinque – As the most experienced member of the original Forwards 2, she was offered the role of instructor by Hayate, filling in the void of peer instructor left by Lazlo. Continues to lead Forwards 1for the rest of their probationary period and after, which is incidentally made up entirely of members from the former Forwards 2. Feeling her own adequacies with respect to her instruction credentials, she spends hours doing research in the Infinity Library, often in the company of Nove. Her application for a formal instructor course is currently pending approval from the main HQ. She also helps out at the Midoriya occasionally in exchange for lessons from Nanoha with regards to her new role, although she is frequently embarrassed to death by the frilly outfit that comes as a requisite.

Tenjyu Star: Geddoe – Having settled his grudge in a glorious duel with his once nemesis, he becomes considerably less angsty and grumpy upon his return to the Twelfth Harmonian Southern Fringe Defense Force Unit. Is asked and obliges Sasarai's request to help with Harmonian reforms, which he does as a favor to his long time acquaintance, retaking the family name that he had abandoned prior to his involvement with the first Firebringers. Currently lives as Lord Merces, the unofficial head of the artistocracy for the time being.

Tenhei Star: Lutecia Alpino – As one of the last practitioners of Unrestricted spells, she experiences and makes the same decisions as her other two friends in her vow of silentude and the pioneering of the Dragon Knights. Currently serves as Vice-commander and chief of the gunners division within the unit. Was at a lost of what to do with her long time partners Erio and Caro for some time until Caro brought up an interesting proposition, one that she accepts after receiving blessings from her mother Megane to follow her heart.

Tenson Star: Zafira – Remains as one of the Wolkenritter, protector and guardian of her mistress. As with Vita, he helps train the next generation of forwards in between his spare time and missions.

Tenrou Star: Takamichi Shiro – Resigns from his temporary position as a Forward and returns to manning the Midoriya back on Earth, content to live out the rest of this life in relative peace. Thankfully, his Circle Rune was able to remain dormant all this time before activating for what would be its final time for this incarnation.

Tenbou Star: Friedrich – Found itself in a predicament when the effects of Milia's Dragon Rune summoning never wearing out and hence, stuck in its original form. Eventually joins Erio, Caro and Lutecia as one of the first few dragons in the Dragon Knight unit.

Tenkou Star: Verossa Acous – During and after the war, he continues to weed out and "take care of", by means of memory removal, manipulation or other less amicable means, the spies and people representing dubious agendas that had been responsible for the information leaks leading to Lazlo's quick arrest warrant. To his own surprise, he receives an invite to join the equally dubious TSAB Covert Ops for his impressive specialty, something that backfired on the hopeful employers when he carved them out from within to take control and revamp the entire organization, eliminating all corrupt influences and leading it back to its rightful path.

Chikai Star: Carim Gracia – Continues as the chairperson of the Saint Church and prominent member of the TSAB board of directors. She is sometimes criticized of nepotism due to her continued support for her friends and relatives in similar positions of power, but she dismisses these accusations through her continual stewardship of the free worlds alongside those very friends and relatives.

Chiyu Star: Griffith Lowran – Continues to work under Chrono as his assistant in his new capacities, providing much welcomed help with the heavier administration and duties officially, as well as help with regards to less official ones such as his recent memory malfunction with regards to a certain wedding anniversary due to overwork.

Chiyu Star: Sheen – The gold dragon performed admirably well for her first large scale battle as Sharon's dragon mount, earning fair praise and recognition from the commander and her own dragon mount. She and Sharon becomes the dragon knight duo to watch for many years to come.

Chiei Star: Schach Nouera – Stands by Carim's side as her loyal assistant and confidante out of both duty and affection. The two remain as close as sisters despite their obvious disparity in ranks.

Chimou Star: Miyuki Takamichi – Resigns from her temporary tenure as a Forward and returns to Earth with her parents despite an offer to stay on as an instructor. She inherits the Takamichi family dojo and tends to it in between advancing her degree in college, conveniently falling in love and marries a doctor she met while in the process, much to her parent's relief.

Chisei Star: Sir Ector – Continues to serve as one of the members of the inner circle of knights within the Saint Church.

Chitou Star: Lady Danielle - Continues to serve as one of the members of the inner circle of knights within the Saint Church.

Chian Star: Lady Bedivere - Continues to serve as one of the members of the inner circle of knights within the Saint Church.

Chikai Star: Otto – After the departure of most of the original Forwards 1, she joins the rest of her sisters as they takes over the void left by them. Continues to learn magic from the instructors in order to augment her range abilities and trains regularly with Dieci on the training field on their own.

Chiyu Star: Sette – As with the rest of her sisters, she was reshuffled into Forwards 1 shortly after the war. In between her trainings and missions, she can often be found visiting Tre in her holding facility, filling her in with things that had been happening in the family.

Chijyu Star: Nove - As with the rest of her sisters, she was reshuffled into Forwards 1 shortly after the war. She still looks up to Cinque fiercely and offers to helps her out in her new role every now and then, even taking time out of her own free time to do so. Not that she minded it much as it meant spending more time with her eyepatched sister, even if it is just doing some research. Jumps at the chance to watch Cinque moonlight at the Midoriya in their waitress uniform. Frequently tries to get a job there, but usually fails due to her less than suitable attitude.

Chikyu Star: Wendi - As with the rest of her sisters, she was reshuffled into Forwards 1 shortly after the war. She picks up the popular Mid-Childa sport of grav-boarding almost naturally due to similarities to her usual fighting styles and becomes some sort of legend among the enthusiasts, even though she only participates in her own free time between training and missions. Occasionally joins Nove in her research stints with Cinque, but gets bored easily enough.

Chizen Star: Vice Gransenic – Continues to train new cadets into the Sniper unit after the War. Annouces a surprise marriage to long time friend and confidante Alto Krauetta whom he weds with the blessings of all their friends and relatives.

Chikyou Star: Jowy Altriedes – Travels around the world alongside Riou to expand his horizons, with particular interest to the Western Continent. Currently lost somewhere in the middle of Zelant, no thanks to an equally lost Riou. Eventually gets caught up in another war there where he finally managed to get blinked back to Dunan by Vivio.

Chisou Star: Lotte Lieze – Resigns from her tenure as a Forward and accompanies her master in his retirement back to England, tending to him as a favored master and father figure alongside Alia.

Chimei Star: Raura – Sent to intervene in one of the latest hotspots generated by the little Yuber incident before it got too out of hand, she proceeds with damage control with the poise and experience as expected of a member of the Runekeepers.

Chitai Star: Captain Boris – Continues on as an experienced admiral and supporter of the new commander-in-chief of the Navy forces.

Chisui Star: Captain Zala – Continues on as an experienced admiral and supporter of the new commander-in-chief of the Navy forces.

Chiin Star: Captain Joule – Continues on as an experienced admiral and supporter of the new commander-in-chief of the Navy forces.

Chiri Star: Captain Clyne – Continues on as an experienced admiral and supporter of the new commander-in-chief of the Navy forces.

Chiraku Star: Squad leader of Enforcer A3 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their Enforcer duties.

Chisoku Star: Little Viki – Chases the elder Viki around time and space as usual, occasionally returning to Magician's Isle to give lessons to Vivio. Takes the most credit for training her into an established teleportress of her own right, seeing that the other Viki is usually not around when she is needed.

Chikei Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 1 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chiyou Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 3 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chifuku Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 5 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chiku Star: Amy Limietta – Works hard to upkeep the home she shares with Chrono and their two children. Was previously proud of her husbands promotion to the commander-in-chief of the Naval forces; that is until he forgets their wedding anniversary due to the excessive demands of the office. Presently miffed at the said husband.

Chizen Star: Leti Lowran – Carries on her work in the upper echelons of the TSAB command, steadily reforming the administration and maintaining it on its intended course of protecting the free worlds. Worries constantly about her son's lack of love interests though, often egged on gently by her longtime friend Lindy.

Chikaku Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 12 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chizou Star: Voltaire - Another casualty of Milia's Dragon Rune's powerful summon, it finds itself unable to return to its original dimension. Stays on my Caro's side though and becomes one of the first dragons in the newly formed Dragon Knight unit.

Chison Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 6 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chisatsu Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 8 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chisyu Star: Farin K. Ehrlichkeit – Stays by Suzuka's side as her personal maid and close confidante. It's likely she will never even realise the role she played in the war though, a sign of her strong faith in her mistress's friends.

Chiin Star: Lady Isolde – Continues to serve as one of the members of the inner circle of knights within the Saint Church and one of the captains heading one of the Saint Chruch's knight carrier units.

Chisou Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 9 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chiken Star: Thrash – The red dragon remains as the loyal partner of the commander of the Dragon Knights of Toran, occasionally taking the younger dragons such as Sheen under her wing.

Chizoku Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 13 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chisatsu Star: Garyu – Continues to look after Lutecia's mother in her place, although he is also summoned at times to lend the dragon knights additional firepower. Doesn't express it well, but he likes both tasks just as much.

Chiketsu Star: Jeane – Upon returning to Magician's Isle, she begins to stick around Zerase every chance she gets. It's quite debatable at first whether she had really taken a liking to her or is just getting a kick of out of seeing the unflappable druid break out in hot blushes, but she seems happy either way.

Chii Star: Sharon – With the valuable experience gained from the war and space battles, she begins to live up to her billing as the daughter of the Commander of the Dragon Knights and rapidly rises through the ranks by merit of her skills and abilities. Currently a 3rd Class Dragon Knight.

Chiki Star: Kyoya Takamichi – Noted in the war for his extreme skill with the blade and as a protégé of magic similar to he youngest sister, he was offered the post of instructor by Hayate, a post which he accepts. Moves to Mid Childa to better fulfill his new role, alongside his fiancée Shinobu Tsukimura who insisted on following him no matter what this time.

Chibun Star: Sir Galahad – Continues to serve as one of the members of the inner circle of knights within the Saint Church.

Chikatsu Star: Sir Kay – Continues to serve as one of the members of the inner circle of knights within the Saint Church.

Chikyou Star: Bright – Remains Futch's loyal partner and companion back with the Dragon Knights. Takes up a mentorship role among the younger dragons as well, notably the fledgling ones without actual combat experience.

Chijiku Star: Lady Airianne – Continues to serve as one of the members of the inner circle of knights within the Saint Church.

Chisa Star: Sein – As with the rest of her sisters, she was reshuffled into Forwards 1 shortly after the war. Develops her magic skills diligently to make up for the lack of combat ability accorded by her Inherent Skills and Equipment. On her days off, she enjoys watching Wendi grav-boarding and supports her hobby enthusiastically, at times sponsoring her with new gear, much to the delight of the younger girl. Also moonlights on the side at Midoriya as waitress for the extra cash, although she's also secretly thrilled at the prospect of wearing the frilly outfit designed by Nanoha.

Chirei Star: Shamal – Remains as a member of the Wolkenritter, loyal guardians and confidante to her mistress. Continues on as the medical officer at Mobile Section 6, although she regularly gets into disputes with Signum for sending her charges to her infirmary a little more often than necessary.

Chibi Star: Futch – Inspired by the youthful exuberance of the young Dragon Knight from another world, he resumes his duties as Vice-commander upon his return to Toran and overlooks the training of his younger charge with renewed interest. Particularly proud of how diligent Sharon had been working since her stint in the previous war and is considering sending the Squire-class cadets out to gain field experiences of their own.

Chibaku Star: Deed – As with the rest of her sisters, she was reshuffled into Forwards 1 shortly after the war. After witnessing her best friend and favorite sister Otto diligently working on her abilities, she decides to follow suit and requests for private swordsmanship lessons with Kyoya Takamichi to improve her own skills. Moonlights alongside Sein at the Midoriya on the side as well in exchange for pointers from Fate.

Chikou Star: Riou Gen – Travels around the world alongside Jowy to expand his horizons, with particular interest to the Western Continent. Currently lost somewhere in the middle of Zelant, no thanks to an equally lost Jowy. Eventually gets caught up in another war there where he finally managed to get blinked back to Dunan by Vivio.

Chihi Star: Momoko Takamichi – Follows her husband back to Earth upon his resignation and helps run the Midoriya again. Cheerfully relieved that all three of her children are happily attached and is starting to hope for grandchildren. For some reason, she got extremely elated after receiving a certain long distance phone call from Mid Childa.

Chikou Star: Alia Lieze – Resigns from her tenure as a Forward and accompanies her master in his retirement back to England, tending to him as a favored master and father figure alongside Lotte.

Chisin Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 11 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chiman Star: Captain Yeltsman – Continues on as an experienced admiral and supporter of the new commander-in-chief of the Navy forces.

Chisyu Star: Captain Yamato – Continues on as an experienced admiral and supporter of the new commander-in-chief of the Navy forces.

Chii Star: Milia – Returns to her post as Commander of the Dragon Knights upon reaching Toran. Feels especially proud at the progress her daughter has made with the experience gained during the war and is currently debating the issue of sending fledgling Squire-class cadets out to the field with Futch.

Chisyun Star: Squad leader of Enforcer A2 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their Enforcer duties.

Chitatsu Star: Viki – Finds herself in yet another strange land in another strange time after sneezing her way out of Mobile Section 6's cafeteria. Swears to find a cure for her oversensitive nose, although a cure for her less than sensitive head seems to be the more proper recourse…

Chichin Star: Squad leader of Enforcer A4 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their Enforcer duties.

Chima Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 2 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chiyu Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 4 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chihi Star: Shario Finieno – Remains the resident device meister with Mobile Section 6, outfitting the new generation of forwards with newer and better devices and providing maintenance for them as well. A frequent patron of Mid Childa's Midoriya in support of her former boss Fate.

Chiko Star: Mariel Atenza – Serves as Head of precision engineering of the engineering department in TSAB HQ before requesting a transfer to Mobile Section 6 to better take care of the combat cyborgs there, having become real friends with the several girls.

Chitan Star: Alto Krauetta – Requests a transfer to a deskjob some time after the war, she marries Vice soon afterwards in a simple ceremony in the company of all their friends. Reveals that the reason for her abrupt transfer was the same reason for her abrupt wedding, not that she really minded.

Chisyu Star: Suzuka Tsukimura – Immensely relieved and glad that her two best friends made it through the crisis safely. She works hard at her company, eventually earning a subcontract from TSAB to set up and maintain an emergency supply base for their ships that have to venture to this relatively distant part of the universe for missions. She had some help from her three best friends who are currently staying there of course.

Chihei Star: Dieci – As with the rest of her sisters, she was reshuffled into Forwards 1 shortly after the war. She is at times attached out to Vice's Sniper unit for additional training, but can usually be found working with Otto on the field due to their similar expertise with ranged attacks. Visits Quattro and Uno at the holding facilities every now and then just to see how they are doing.

Chido Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 7 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chiaku Star: Lindy Haloun – Despite her so called "desk job" she was brought into the upper echelons of the TSAB command in recognition of her abilities. Continues to work alongside her longtime friend Leti to keep the administration running smoothly. Pleasantly surprised to find the time to visit her daughters at the Midoriya regularly despite her supposedly heavier tasks. A sign of her efficiency perhaps.

Chisu Star: Noel K. Ehrlichkeit – Stays by Suzuka's side as the head maid of the household, a close confidante and a sister figure. It's likely she will never even realise the role she played in the war though, a sign of her strong faith in her mistress's friends.

Chikei Star: Sir Tristan – Continues to serve as one of the members of the inner circle of knights within the Saint Church and one of the captains heading one of the Saint Chruch's knight carrier units.

Chiretsu Star: Squad leader of the TSAB Armed Forces squad 10 – the unnamed squad leader continues leading the squad in their duties.

Chimou Star: Lucino Lille – Works alongside Griffith as one of Chrono's aides and helps out with administrative matters. She tends to stick close to the former for some reason, and taking frequent deep breaths before one day, she finally asks him out for a date.

Chikou Star: Alisa Bannings – Was much relieved by the fact that her two best friends had pulled through the crisis safely. She heads her own multi-million dollar business empire well and helps set up some basic trade links with Mid Childa with help from some of Hayate's connections. Applies for and eventually receives a permit for two to visit Nanoha and Fate in Mid Childa alongside Suzuka.

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Omake 24: Afterword

The bells on the doors of the café rang lightly as a blonde high-schooler entered the shophouse.

"Tadaima!" announced a cheerful voice

"Okaerinasai." greeted the four adults seated in the empty café,

"Mom, Dad, Grandmas, what's the matter? Why was the 'closed' sign on the door?"

The sole blonde male in the room heaved a slight sigh. "Sara, we have something we need to tell you…"

"Huh? Dad, you sound so serious all of a sudden… that's not normal… You're not going to tell me that I'm adopted are you!?" exclaimed the now flustered school girl. The man merely smiled at that familiar sight.

"Oh no, there's too much of you mom in you for that. Ouch!" he winced as the said mother slapped him on the back of his shoulders, much to the giggling delight of the other two older women.

"Mou." went the slightly red-faced mother. "Be serious for once okay?"

"I was getting there you know… ahem. Anyway, Sara, take a seat. You know how all your friends keep mistaking us for your brother and sister?"

"Ya…? I told them you two married young."

"Well, actually…"

Sapphire eyes widened in incredulity as the tale now several decades old was told; of how her mom and dad first met, of their adventures together, of their close brushes with death, of their home in a mysterious island outside the reaches of time and finally, the secret of their perpetually gloved hands. The blonde couple raised their hands and their runes begin to glow with brilliant glows that had been hidden for all these years.

"Usou… you're telling me that my parents are immortals and are many times more powerful mages than those TSAB cadets who keep turning up here?" she began with disbelief.

"That's right. Well, your grandmamas are actually legends in the today's TSAB as well, so I guess it kinda runs in the family." replied the mother modestly.

"No way…" continued the schoolgirl before her face lit up. "That's too cool! So does that mean I can do magic too?"

"W-wha… well, yes I suppose." answered the mother hesitantly before turning to her husband. "She's taking it much better then I thought."

"Well, she's got her dad's wit and her mom's denseness after all." came the smart reply that earned another hefty smack and a pretty blush.

"Anyway, here's the catch." the father carried on. "The fourteen year leave we managed to get ends a week from now. Chances are that we'll have to go back to where we came from and do some really backbreaking work for this sometimes nice, but usually not nice lady. That's why we're going to let you choose how you wish to live your life. You could stay here with your grandmothers and live out your live normally; we can always drop by for visits once in a while, or you can come back along with us where you can study to be a proper mage under us and other experts there. What do you think?"

"Duh!" was all the reply they needed.

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A week from then, the blonde family arrived on Magician's Isle via the mother's teleportation spell and was greeted fondly by the blind seer personally, a rare honour accorded to only a handful of people in the island's history. The trio were quickly treated to a banquet held in honour of their return to the island and were greeted warmly by their friends and acquaintances. The youngest member felt incredibly awestruck by the level of welcome and honour given to them and became understandably uneasy in the presence of a sea of unfamiliar faces. All of a sudden, she spots a lone boy with green hair leaning against one of the pillars at the corner and felt inexplicably drawn to him for no reason that she could identify.

"Hi." she greeted unusually demurely.

"Who are you?" was the curt reply.

"I'm Sara en Kuldes. I just arrived on this island with my mom and dad. I'll be learning magic here for a while too." she continued patiently.

"What do you want?" was the next equally curt reply

"Nothing. It just thought you looked like you were lonely and could use some company." she answered quite naturally.

The green-haired boy looked up slightly in surprise, before the coldness that was in his eyes melted away, revealing the gentlest eyes the girl had ever seen, an immense kindness shining through the emeralds, causing the blonde to catch her breath momentarily.

"Well Sara, my name is Lucifael Antemoira." the boy replied, his tone much more amicable this time.

The blonde winces a little.

"Lucifer? As in the fallen star of heaven? That doesn't seem very nice. How about I call you Luc instead?"

"Luc… I like the sound of that."

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(The End or the Beginning; we'll have to see how the Wheel of Destiny turns in time.)

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Author's Notes:

Here's the proper ending of Higher Powers… It's been fun writing it of course, and I hope it was as fun to read for you readers to read it too.

For those who are interested, I'm currently working on a plot schema for another piece, a continuation of sorts while it might also qualify as a standalone as well. I am placing it under the Suikoden thread of the Games section of this website since it will be more Luc and Sara centric. The tentative title I have in mind is surprise surprise, the Wheel of Destiny. And the first chapter and foreword are already up by the time of this update. Please check it out by all means if you liked what you have been reading so far.

My thanks once again for to both reviewers and readers. Later then.


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